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

Derived Forms

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

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

And he ended on a positive note, saying he hoped the changes would help a build a "secure, lawful, compassionate and prosperous" country.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

At first glance, modern, prosperous South Korea looks like it’s been wrongly tarred with the same brush.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

On its website, the group says it is a coalition of L.A. residents “promoting a safer, cleaner, more prosperous and more collaborative city.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

You are a master of the prosperous pivot.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Some prosperous Frenchman had built the house in the late 1700s to house a menage of wife, children, and spinster tantes.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

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