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• wealthy
  wealthy

  adjective

  having great wealth; rich; affluent.
• Wealthy
  Wealthy

  noun

  a variety of red apple, grown in the U.S., ripening in early autumn.

wealthy

¹ American  

[wel-thee] / ˈwɛl θi /

adjective

• wealthier,
  comparative
• wealthiest
  superlative

1. 

   having great wealth; rich; affluent.

   a wealthy person; a wealthy nation.

   Synonyms:

   moneyed, well-to-do, prosperous

   Antonyms:

   poor

2. characterized by, pertaining to, or suggestive of wealth.

   a wealthy appearance.

3. rich in character, quality, or amount; abundant or ample.

   a novel that is wealthy in its psychological insights.

   Synonyms:

   copious

   Antonyms:

   scanty

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Wealthy ² American  

[wel-thee] / ˈwɛl θi /

noun

1. a variety of red apple, grown in the U.S., ripening in early autumn.

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wealthy British  

/ ˈwɛlθɪ /

adjective

1. possessing wealth; affluent; rich

2. of, characterized by, or relating to wealth

3. abounding

   wealthy in friends

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Synonym Usage

See rich.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wealthiness
  noun
• overwealthy
  adjective
• quasi-wealthy
  adjective
• subwealthy
  adjective
• superwealthy
  adjective
• unwealthy
  adjective
• wealthily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• wealthier
  comparative
• wealthiest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of wealthy¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; wealth + -y ¹

Origin of Wealthy²

Origin uncertain

Explanation

If you have riches you are wealthy. Don't be misled into thinking "riches" means only money — to many people, to have a healthy family and to be surrounded by love is to be abundantly wealthy. The Old English word wela, via the Middle English welth, meaning "happiness and prosperity in abundance," is the source of our noun wealth. Although the Middle English wele meant "well-being," the word referred primarily to money and possessions. Many people still feel that way, but Henry David Thoreau offered a different view: "Wealth is the ability to fully experience life." That is, true wealth is having whatever means the most to you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wealthy Wealthy wealthier wealthiest

Another caption explains that: “Jewellery and equipment in the graves of many wealthy and aristocratic women reflect the complex roles these women had.”

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

Private school was never an option for my working-class parents, but living close to the vacation homes of wealthy people boosted the quality of public schooling.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

The good news is a little planning now, using proven tax strategies for the wealthy, can prevent much pain later.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

In the NFL, I’ve been able to hang around some pretty wealthy people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Needless to say, Penelope had never entered a wealthy gentleman’s club before.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Wealthy tourists would have felt like visitors from another solar system.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

Wealthy Americans are harvesting losses, considering accelerated charitable deductions and analyzing whether their Opportunity Zone investments have declined in value, advisers say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Wealthy investors who piled into private-credit funds have spent months trying to cash out their shares and still can’t.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

Wealthy buyers who are immune to the challenges of today’s high-interest-rate environment are driving brisk sales of luxury homes.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

Wealthy knights from Houses old in honor did not cross the narrow sea to sell their swords, unless exiled for some infamy.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Royal Caribbean plans to take a 50% stake in Sandals, a move that gives the cruise line access to wealthier customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Jewelry sales have offered a glimmer of hope for retailers this year, as wealthier shoppers spend like inflation doesn’t exist.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Cross-financed by Germany's wealthier states, Berlin is deep in the red, with 2.2 billion euros in debt calculated in late 2024, which forced painful spending cuts in multiple areas.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

For low-income households, any uptick in grocery prices will stretch already strained budgets, while wealthier consumers may not notice the change.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Their accusers tended to be wealthier individuals who controlled local institutions or had ties to the national government, and were sometimes even the women’s landlords or employers.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Their owners include schoolteachers and secretaries alongside some of Los Angeles’ wealthiest families.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

His pledge to increase taxes has sparked backlash from some of the city's wealthiest residents who claim it will discourage people from buying homes and investing in the US's largest city.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

MacKenzie Scott—then MacKenzie Bezos—went on to help her then-husband Jeff Bezos launch Amazon, cementing her place as one of the world’s wealthiest and most generous women.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Jeff Bezos has cemented his standing as one of the wealthiest individuals in history—with a personal net worth hovering around $200 billion, and buoyed by Amazon’s relentless valuation growth.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Red Cross volunteers, many of them from Boston’s wealthiest families, arrived in their immaculate white-and-gray uniforms, which immediately turned brown once they stepped into the deep sea of molasses.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• affluent
• independent
• moneyed
• prosperous
• upscale
• well-heeled
• well-off
• well-to-do