noun
World War III; Third World War
Refers to a hypothetical global conflict following World War II. Often used in speculative, political, or fictional contexts.
第三次世界大戦が起これば、人類は壊滅的な被害を受けるだろう。
If World War III breaks out, humanity will suffer catastrophic damage.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant using numeral 3 instead of 三.
Compound of 第三次 (daisanji, 'third') + 世界大戦 (sekai taisen, 'world war'). The term follows the naming pattern of 第一次世界大戦 (World War I) and 第二次世界大戦 (World War II).