prosperity
Americannoun
plural
prosperities-
a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune.
-
prosperities, prosperous circumstances, characterized by financial success or good fortune.
noun
Usage
What does prosperity mean? Prosperity is success or the state of success, especially financial or material success. Prosperity often implies success in terms of wealth, health, and happiness. But it can also be used more broadly. The verb prosper means to achieve prosperity. Someone who achieves prosperity can be described as prosperous. The word prosperity is often paired with words like peace and wealth, such as when wishing people well, as in May your year be full of peace and prosperity. Example: You can achieve prosperity through dedication and hard work.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prosperity
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English prosperite, from Old French, from Latin prosperitās; see prosperous, -ity
Explanation
Use prosperity to refer to the state of being successful. In the US, the decades following World War II were characterized by rising prosperity, with large numbers moving into the middle class. Prosperity usually means the type of success that comes from having a lot of money. Our modern English word derives from Middle English prosperite, borrowed through Old French from Latin prosperus "favorable." The Latin word also means "fortunate," and the word prosperity does have an element of good luck.
Vocabulary lists containing prosperity
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Animal Farm
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Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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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.
My family foundation remains invested in Washington’s future, seeking to help the next generation achieve economic mobility and prosperity.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
Those years included periods of unexampled prosperity and the growth of a strong middle class in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
“The response to Hormuz’s closure has to be about more than interest-rate settings and monetary conditions. Unless broad-reaching measures are taken, global prosperity is at risk.”
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Access to the West, he believed—particularly to lands along the Ohio River then claimed by both Virginia and Pennsylvania—was essential for the colonies’ future prosperity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
As the story goes, when he was done birds flew down and pecked away the outlines—a development that gave Alexander pause, until someone suggested that it augured well for the town’s prosperity.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
