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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

The gap between how well pupils from better-off backgrounds perform at school compared with their classmates from lower-income households has widened, according to a new report.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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

It’s not to drag the relatively better-off down to the bottom, but to allow more people to pull themselves up.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2025

The better-off folk of Welch had not exactly flocked to our part of town.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

"It's not that these people are worse off than those that came before them, but it's that they're no better off and that progress has stalled."

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

“It’s a brutal business — you are better off putting your money into treasury bills, historically, so it’s hard for studios.”

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Also read: Am I better off claiming Social Security early and investing the money, or delaying until age 70?

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

“Whatever this power is, I think I’m better off without it.”

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila