prosper
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What does prosper mean? Prosper means to be successful or fortunate, especially in a financial or material way.Prosper often implies success in terms of wealth, health, and happiness. But it can also be used broadly, much like the words succeed, thrive, and flourish.You can say that someone is prospering in the present, but the word is perhaps most commonly used in the context of what will happen in the future.Prosper is associated with its use in the phrase “live long and prosper,” the catchphrase of the character Spock in the Star Trek series of TV shows and movies.Someone who prospers can be described as prosperous. The noun prosperity refers to a state of success.Example: If we can continue to maintain this level of quality, our company will continue to prosper.
Related Words
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
- unprospered adjective
- unprospering adjective
Etymology
Origin of prosper
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English prosperen, Old French prosperer, from Latin prosperāre “to make happy,” derivative of prosperus prosperous
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.
That would drain the nation of the talent and resources it needs to stabilize, grow and prosper.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Cambridge residents would, he added, be "outraged" to find "that one entity owns the word 'Cambridge', because it doesn't help the rest of the city prosper in any kind of way at all".
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
For D’Amaro, part of the challenge will be living up to the standards set by Iger, who helped the company prosper during his long career.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
"The question most people ask is clear. When will Myanmar prosper?" said astrologer Linn Nhyo Taryar.
From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025
Haskell was perfectly capable of convincing himself that he was the genius making the Dregs prosper, especially if one of his cronies was whispering in his ear.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
