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.
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
A charter member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the nation exuded affluence and excess — though the wealth was mostly channeled to domestic elites and foreign oil companies, not the impoverished majority.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 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
"We see a lot of affluence - a lot of wealth - and that's not something that you see a huge amount on screen in Wales."
From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025
Yet it was at that moment of maximum affluence that the Roman political order collapsed into a series of deadly civil wars.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
