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• better-off
  better-off

  adjective

  being in better circumstances, especially economically.
• better off
  better off

  In a more favorable position or financial circumstances. For example, They were better off flying than driving there, or They were better off than most of their neighbors. This phrase is the comparative form of well off. [Mid-1800s]

better-off

American  

[bet-er-awf, -of] / ˈbɛt ərˈɔf, -ˈɒf /

adjective

1. being in better circumstances, especially economically.

   Only the better-off nations can afford to send probes into space.

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better off Idioms  

1. In a more favorable position or financial circumstances. For example, They were better off flying than driving there, or They were better off than most of their neighbors. This phrase is the comparative form of well off. [Mid-1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of better-off

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

better-off better off

That's because 86.6% of better-off students got an A to C grades this year as opposed to 71% of those in the most deprived areas.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Yes, good public schools exist, but they tend to be in communities where only the better-off can afford to live.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

Bankers interpret this as a sign that slightly better-off consumers are absorbing the higher prices, while lower-income customers are increasingly cutting back or seeking cheaper alternatives.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026

The government said offering an alternative would "break down barriers to opportunity", because white working class pupils were twice as likely to need to resit than their better-off classmates.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2025

Now I understand that these people I admired weren’t exactly rich, simply better-off than the people of my village, one of the poorest in Ecuador.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Still, he acknowledged, if the stock market underperforms the yield on a money-market fund, investors would have been better off staying put.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

“It doesn’t necessarily mean residents are better off or worse off in any particular city, but it can show areas where median household income is outpacing inflation, offsetting the impact of rising costs,” he added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

If you are at an early stage of your career, focusing on long-term growth, you will probably be better off not pursuing an income strategy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Season 2 starts with her realizing she’s probably better off free of her mystery prize.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

The more Penelope turned it over in her mind, the more convinced she became that the children might actually be better off in the forest.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood