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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

Disadvantaged pupils were, on average, 19 months behind their classmates from better-off backgrounds by the time they got to Key Stage 4, the report said.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Green MSP Ariane Burgess warned evidence from previous help-to-buy schemes suggested that they made properties "less not more affordable", and that they benefited better-off buyers.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

These retailers are aggressively courting better-off customers at the same time that their traditional customers are cutting back due to inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 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

His family owned many cattle; they were among the better-off families in their village of Loun-Ariik.

From "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park

From the get-go, Beutner said he was concerned that some school systems would misuse the new arts money — leaving students no better off than before in terms of arts education.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Fat tissue is often viewed as something the body would be better off without.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

But in hindsight, I was optimizing for a travel lifestyle that I wasn’t really living, and I would have been better off picking a card that offered more of what I needed: free cash.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

But for public confidence, “we would be better off with an enforcement mechanism,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Looking at those crowds on television, Barry was relieved when Mom and Dad decided they were better off at home.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis