well-to-do
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-to-do
First recorded in 1815–25
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 exclusive complex, in classic picture-postcard Switzerland scenery, has been welcoming leaders and the well-to-do and for more than 150 years.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
In the early days, such caps would affect only a small number of well-to-do retirees.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Harrogate's reputation as a well-to-do area hid the reality of life there for some people, Wright added.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
The split widens when a labor strike becomes an armed revolt, with Jacir gamely tracking the hardening or shifting loyalties of both her peasant and well-to-do characters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
Typically the subject was a well-to-do immigrant supporting some potential insurgency in his old land, or else funding a fledgling trade union or radical student organization.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
