Trivia Time

Which fictional character becomes prosperous?

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prosperous

American  

[pros-per-uhs] / ˈprɒs pər əs /

adjective

1. 

   having or characterized by financial success or good fortune; flourishing; successful.

   a prosperous business.

   Synonyms:

   thriving

2. well-to-do or well-off.

   a prosperous family.

   Synonyms:

   rich, wealthy

3. favorable or propitious.

   Synonyms:

   auspicious, lucky, fortunate

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prosperous British  

/ ˈprɒspərəs /

adjective

1. flourishing; prospering

2. rich; affluent; wealthy

3. favourable or promising

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Usage

What does prosperous mean? Prosperous means successful, especially in a financial or material way. It can be used to describe people, groups, or institutions like businesses. The word is typically used to describe people who have achieved success in terms of wealth, health, and happiness. But it can also be used broadly, much like the words successful, thriving, and flourishing. Prosperous is based on the verb prosper, which means to be successful. 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. The word prospering can be used as an adjective to mean the same thing as prosperous. The related noun prosperity refers to a state of success. Example: If we can continue to maintain this level of quality, our company will continue to be prosperous.

Other Word Forms

• nonprosperousness
  noun
• overprosperousness
  noun
• prosperousness
  noun
• unprosperousness
  noun
• nonprosperous
  adjective
• overprosperous
  adjective
• pseudoprosperous
  adjective
• quasi-prosperous
  adjective
• superprosperous
  adjective
• unprosperous
  adjective
• nonprosperously
  adverb
• overprosperously
  adverb
• prosperously
  adverb
• pseudoprosperously
  adverb
• quasi-prosperously
  adverb
• unprosperously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of prosperous

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prosperus

Explanation

If you have a new car, a new high-paying job, and some flashy new shoes, then you could be described as prosperous, meaning you have material success that seems like it will continue to grow. The adjective prosperous often describes a person or a person’s future, but it can apply to anything that’s experiencing growth and success. Prosperous derives from the Latin word prosperus, meaning “doing well.” Great pronouns of this happy word include golden, well-heeled, flourishing, and thriving.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prosperous

And the unintended upshot could be more wealthy couples staying together, while the less prosperous among us avoid the altar entirely.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Lopez was at her apartment in the prosperous farmland known as the “Raisin Capital of the World” when a reporter told her about the investigation’s findings and the timeframe for penalties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

The new route is particularly important to rural parts of Sichuan, Chongqing and Yunnan, among others, which are less well-connected than more prosperous regions in eastern China.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

But he added cancelling the attack would be "for the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran".

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

He was so prosperous a smith that he did not live and work in the same place.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Related Words

• affluent
• booming
• comfortable
• flourishing
• fortunate
• rich
• robust
• wealthy
• well-heeled
• well-off
• well-to-do