Third-generation programming language
A third-generation programming language (3GL) is a programming language that is machine-independent. Programs written in a 3GL can be compiled to run on many different devices. Compare this to a first-generation programming language (machine code) or a second-generation programming language (assembly language). In those languages, the program is written specifically for a certain CPU (central processing unit) and instruction set.
3GLs first appeared in the 1950s with the release of FORTRAN (Formula Translation), ALGOL (algorithmic language), and COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language). These languages are considered "high-level," even though they are a much lower level than modern high-level programming languages such as C++, Ruby, and JavaScript.