flourishing
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of flourishing
A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at flourish, -ing 2
Explanation
When something is flourishing, it's healthy or successful. Your flourishing lemonade stand is especially busy on hot summer afternoons. A flourishing rose bush has glossy green leaves and bright blossoms, and a city's flourishing music scene means you can see live bands every weekend and hear many different types of music. This adjective is used today for anything that's thriving or prospering, but originally it meant "full of flowers," from the Latin root flos, "a flower."
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 Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad is still flourishing at 116 years old.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
But few hold more direct responsibility for that flourishing of styles than Guardiola himself.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
In Jemima’s first year of high school in New Zealand, her social life was flourishing.
From Slate • May 12, 2026
Most importantly for the long term, we are seeing the EU lay the groundwork for a potential flourishing of capitalism by supporting technology and innovation and by reforming and deregulating where appropriate.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
One reason they did so well in battle is precisely because the slave trade was flourishing.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
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.
