adjective
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having or indicating wealth
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abundant or plentiful
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of opulent
1595–1605; < Latin opulentus wealthy, equivalent to op- (stem of ops power, wealth) + -ulentus -ulent
Explanation
Opulent is a word that you will hear a lot around rich people looking to show off. "Remember the opulent buffet at Carrie’s sweet sixteen? Sixteen chocolate cakes iced in gold leaf!" If you want to remember that opulent is a word describing lavish displays of wealth, you can think of the word opal to help you remember it — opal being a rare gem. And if you are lucky enough to be able to afford opulence yourself, don’t describe it that way. The word contains connotations of pretentious. And gold leaf cake aside, who wants that?
Vocabulary lists containing opulent
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Grade 10, List 6
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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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.
Still, I’m holding out hope that a very different HBO series — Julian Fellowes’ opulent period soap ‘The Gilded Age’ — lands in that eighth slot for its excellent third season.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
The Spanish-inspired, opulent pad features a spiral staircase and library.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Tamba — Walking into Tamba, you’re immediately struck by the opulent decor and warm welcome from the host.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
With its opulent Beverly Hills mansions, sports cars around every corner, plastic surgeons aplenty and a culture and economy steeped in entertainment, this city has long seemed preoccupied with surface appearances.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
This opulent sobriety betrayed the divided nature of the school, just as in a different way the two rivers that it straddled did.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
