wealthy
adjective
having great wealth; rich; affluent.
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Wealthi.
wealthy
1 American
[wel-thee]
/ ˈwɛl θi /
adjective
-
wealthier,
comparative
-
wealthiest
superlative
-
having great wealth; rich; affluent.
a wealthy person; a wealthy nation.
- Synonyms:
- moneyed, well-to-do, prosperous
- Antonyms:
- poor
-
characterized by, pertaining to, or suggestive of wealth.
a wealthy appearance.
-
rich in character, quality, or amount; abundant or ample.
a novel that is wealthy in its psychological insights.
- Synonyms:
- copious
- Antonyms:
- scanty
Wealthy
2
American
[wel-thee]
/ ˈwɛl θi /
noun
wealthy
British
/ ˈwɛlθɪ /
adjective
-
possessing wealth; affluent; rich
-
of, characterized by, or relating to wealth
-
abounding
wealthy in friends
Synonym Usage
See rich.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
wealthinessnoun
-
overwealthyadjective
-
quasi-wealthyadjective
-
subwealthyadjective
-
superwealthyadjective
-
unwealthyadjective
-
wealthilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
Vocabulary lists containing wealthy
Beowulf vocabulary
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A Wealth Of Words: Synonyms for "Rich"
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"Culture Clash"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The incident has drawn widespread public attention and renewed scrutiny of Indonesia's prisons, which have long faced allegations that wealthy or well-connected inmates can obtain preferential treatment through bribery.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
“We have the shortest lifespans of any wealthy country,” said Jerold Mande, chief executive of Nourish Science, a nonprofit, and a former FDA and Agriculture Department official.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
His generosity is so well known, in fact, that an industry of lobbyists, lawyers and other insiders has reportedly sprung up to facilitate clemency for wealthy criminals.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
But, like many luxuries, as they became more popular and more accessible to the masses, the wealthy began pivoting – a textbook example of behaviour known as "counter signalling", Rudolfo says.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
It was the work of an extremely wealthy man, obviously.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Wealthy tourists would have felt like visitors from another solar system.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Wealthy entrepreneur Eric Obrokta invested millions into The First Academy, a high school where his son wanted to play elite football.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Wealthy buyers are also competing to snap up high-end watches, pushing their prices up.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 13, 2026
Wealthy buyers—and their kids—could be behind the bump.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Wealthy research foundations were especially interested in isotopes for medical research and cancer treatment.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Over time the gap between these schools, which tend to educate wealthier students, and other colleges has only grown, his research shows.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Big picture: Americans are spending enough money to grease the economy, especially wealthier people who’ve enjoyed ever-rising stock prices.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 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
What to know: Two couples’ lives are messily intertwined when one—a wealthy woman with an even wealthier husband—taps the other—a laid-off laborer and his wife—to be the subjects of a documentary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
It isn’t just the case that the closer someone is to a Connector, the more powerful or the wealthier or the more opportunities he or she gets.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Since joining Prada in 2023, Guerra, the chief executive, has added more expensive, elaborate products, unique pieces and services for its wealthiest customers while preserving cheaper ways into the brand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Baby boomers are the wealthiest generation in history.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026
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
Most of Calypso is paradise, and is home to some of the wealthiest families in South Florida.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
