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.
Dickens’s readers balk at his use of caricature and coincidence, but as Mr. Keefe shows, both are appropriate for a money-mad city full of affluence and anonymity, weird proximities and sudden death.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
“That combination of low supply and relatively high affluence for some parts of our country make the baseline of an entry-level home very expensive,” Lens said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
They’ve simply assumed that because America is the world’s leading consumer and innovator, this national affluence would always sustain its pharmaceutical dominance.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 10, 2025
Savannah’s growing affluence helped convince Jon Kully to open Club Bardo last year inside his new luxury hotel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2025
The general rise in affluence had obscured the traditional class markers and distorted the old class-based political alignments.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
