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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

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Etymology

Origin of wealthy¹

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

Origin of Wealthy²

Origin uncertain

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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

Evans, 34, comes from a wealthy San Diego hotel family and stood by Holmes as her blood-testing startup Theranos collapsed and she was convicted in 2022 of defrauding investors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

The court in that case found that John Banks, a wealthy man, was of sound mind, despite mental-health challenges, when he made a will.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

The move followed warnings that it could end up costing the government money if wealthy people leave the country or defer selling off assets, the Times newspaper reported.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Gifts of stock can help with public relations and offer financial advantages to wealthy individuals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

His father, a wealthy merchant, died in 1483 or 1484, and Nicolaus was brought up in the household of his mother’s brother, Lucas Waczenrode, who became the bishop of Ermeland.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

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

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 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 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 countries and developing nations are at loggerheads over how the pandemic agreement, which was adopted last year, will work in practice.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

Wealthy merchants built wide walkways leading directly to their stores, while poor ones jostled for room wherever they could find it.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

At a protest in central Paris last week, she told AFP there was a stark divide in resources between the 1,300 Eugene Henaff pupils and those in wealthier areas.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

He then put the Dodgers up for sale, because he believed a family business would lack the resources of wealthier corporate ownerships, and the team might not remain competitive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

"They sell these individuals to military units and regional commands facing manpower shortages, or traffic substitute recruits on behalf of wealthier individuals seeking to buy their way out of service."

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

His latest is a long, solemn drama about a working-class family that becomes the subject of a wealthier woman’s documentary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Bribes had not protected even the wealthier people in the ghetto.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

But we may have underestimated how far the world’s wealthiest man and his ilk would go to prevent audiences from seeing it.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

In 2015, the couple purchased their home in the Silicon Valley city of Atherton, one of the wealthiest ZIP Codes in the U.S., for $12.5 million, property records show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Despite these fluctuations, Musk has solidly established himself as the wealthiest person in the world, both now and compared to previous eras.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

“Exposure to the full dynamism of our markets should not be reserved for the wealthiest or for those deemed to be the most sophisticated,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The Treasury Department says that the very wealthiest find ways, legal and illegal, to shelter a lot of income from taxes.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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Related Words

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

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