prosper
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What does prosper mean? Prosper means to be successful or fortunate, especially in a financial or material way.Prosper often implies success in terms of wealth, health, and happiness. But it can also be used broadly, much like the words succeed, thrive, and flourish.You can say that someone is prospering in the present, but the word is perhaps most commonly used in the context of what will happen in the future.Prosper is associated with its use in the phrase “live long and prosper,” the catchphrase of the character Spock in the Star Trek series of TV shows and movies.Someone who prospers can be described as prosperous. The noun prosperity refers to a state of success.Example: If we can continue to maintain this level of quality, our company will continue to prosper.
Related Words
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
- unprospered adjective
- unprospering adjective
Etymology
Origin of prosper
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English prosperen, Old French prosperer, from Latin prosperāre “to make happy,” derivative of prosperus prosperous
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.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is vehemently opposed to the billionaire tax, praised the gift, saying that it will “open doors for students to success and for our communities to prosper.”
From MarketWatch
Even with the Asia Cup on the horizon and the departure of key players such as Yui Hasegawa, they look well equipped to prosper.
From BBC
Americans made things, and prospered in the making of them.
Cambridge residents would, he added, be "outraged" to find "that one entity owns the word 'Cambridge', because it doesn't help the rest of the city prosper in any kind of way at all".
From BBC
Asked where he had found the belief to prosper on the NFL's biggest stage after being traded between five teams over eight years, Darnold responded: "It's easy. My teammates and my coaches."
From Barron's
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.
