World - photo wallpapers; Photowallpapers.org In English, world is rooted in a compound of the obsolete words were, man, and eld, age; thus, its oldest meaning is "Age of Man." Its primary modern meaning is the planet Earth, especially when capitalized: the World. In this sense, a world map is a map of the surface of the Earth. World can also refer to human population in general or to a distinct group of people.