affluence
Americannoun
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abundance of money, property, and other material goods; riches; wealth.
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an abundant supply, as of thoughts or words; profusion.
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a flowing to or toward; afflux.
noun
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an abundant supply of money, goods, or property; wealth
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rare abundance or profusion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of affluence
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin affluentia, equivalent to af- af- + flu- flow + -entia -ence
Explanation
Affluence means great wealth and abundance, such as the great riches found by ancient explorers who exploited the new worlds of North and South America. The roots of the word affluence are recognizable in the Latin affluentia, which refers to something that flows toward (someone). We can see the connection when we think of the flow of wealth that signifies affluence in our society. For centuries we have seen the affluence in the United States that sparked admiration and jealousy among poorer nations, and we have seen that same affluence rising now in China, as it prepares to take its place as a major world power.
Vocabulary lists containing affluence
Frankenstein
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Johnny Tremain
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Revolution in Our Time
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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.
We should have well-funded schools for all American children, where success isn’t so tied to where you call home and the relative affluence of your neighbors.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
"With durian, I bought a car, houses for my children and built a villa for my family," he said, his affluence evident around him.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
Like many constituencies in Scotland, there are pockets of affluence and deprivation, often sitting side by side.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
The vote is dragging this town into a debate over whether it’s OK to tie a region’s identity to its historical affluence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Indeed, the affluence of post-war America - and eventually Europe - saw a generation of carefree teenagers with pocket money to spend, and they wanted to spend it on rock and roll.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
