affluent
Americanadjective
-
having an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods; prosperous; rich.
an affluent person.
-
abounding in anything; abundant.
- Synonyms:
- teeming
-
flowing freely.
an affluent fountain.
noun
-
a tributary stream.
-
an affluent person.
a luxurious resort appealing to young affluents.
adjective
-
rich; wealthy
-
abundant; copious
-
flowing freely
noun
Related Words
See rich.
Other Word Forms
- affluently adverb
- nonaffluent adjective
- subaffluent adjective
- subaffluently adverb
- superaffluent adjective
- superaffluently adverb
- unaffluent adjective
Etymology
Origin of affluent
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin affluent- (stem of affluēns “rich”; originally present participle of affluere ), equivalent to af- af- + flu- “flow” + -ent -ent
Explanation
You know you're driving through an affluent neighborhood when you see large houses, perfect landscaping, and expensive cars. Use affluent to describe wealthy people or areas. In Middle English, affluent meant "abundant, flowing," from Old French, from Latin affluēns, from affluere "to abound in," from the prefix ad- "to, at" plus fluere "to flow." The meaning of "abundant, flowing" is still seen in phrases such as "affluent prose." But mostly, when you use the word affluent, the thing understood to be flowing is cash.
Vocabulary lists containing affluent
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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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.
Workers and retirees, the poor and the more affluent, and Republicans and Democrats all enthusiastically support the Social Security program.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
It prompted one local food outlet to produce a "half chicken price index" ranking the dishes from below $10 all the way to $78 at a French restaurant in affluent Manhattan.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
At the same time, the situation reflects another sign of the current K-shaped economy, where affluent individuals are thriving while others struggle.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
All she can point to is a garage stuffed with throw pillows, remnants of her shriveled dream to design interior spaces for affluent clients.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
A handful of the new affluent indulge their fantasies with gusto.
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.
