prosper
Americanverb (used without object)
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prospers,
present (3rd person singular)
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prospered,
past participle, past
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prospering
present participle
verb (used with object)
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prospers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prospered,
past participle, past
-
prospering
present participle
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.
Synonym Usage
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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prospersimple
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prosperssimple
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have prosperedperfect
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has prosperedperfect
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am prosperingprogressive
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are prosperingprogressive
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is prosperingprogressive
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have been prosperingperfect progressive
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has been prosperingperfect progressive
Past
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prosperedsimple
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had prosperedperfect
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was prosperingprogressive
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were prosperingprogressive
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had been prosperingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
As any fan of Star Trek knows, “live long and prosper” is good advice. The verb prosper means to do well, succeed, or thrive. The verb prosper commonly means to generate wealth, as in “she hopes to prosper from her new investments.” But more generally it means “grow stronger” or "flourish" — crops will prosper when they have adequate sun and water, and rescued animals can prosper in a loving home. You can also prosper from good advice or a wise decision: for example, “cheaters never prosper” is one piece of advice that might help you prosper.
Vocabulary lists containing prosper
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The Call of the Wild
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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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.
See Examples For:
"You have built resilience across our public services, businesses and communities, equipping us all to prosper in our ever-evolving digital world," the monarch added.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Behind the song stood Jerome Kern, a founding architect of the American musical, and Dorothy Fields, one of the few women to prosper in the era’s fiercely competitive songwriting business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Shouldn’t a museum, of all places, be a place where complex dialogues about art and humanity can prosper?
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Leonard Nimoy as Mr Spock in Star Trek performs the Vulcan salute, which is usually accompanied with the words "live long and prosper"
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Bruno Crespi, who was married to Amparo Moscote, and whose shop of toys and musical instruments continued to prosper, built a theater which Spanish companies included in their itineraries.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Yet to our mind the remarkable news of this anniversary is that our free republic has stood for a quarter millennium and prospers still.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
“When Indonesia prospers, the region prosters,” Lee said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2024
Western analysts say the counteroffensive, even if it prospers, won’t end the war which started with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 4, 2023
Who lives, who dies; who suffers, who prospers: The world is a riddle.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 26, 2023
"Not everything survives transplanting. What prospers in one place may wither in another."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Barabak: Becerra right away lays down the man o’ the people card, noting his parents came to California with just $12 and prospered.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“Under his tenure, China has prospered immensely. He’s really done an excellent job.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Unyoked from racial prejudices and prohibitions, Eston’s progeny prospered.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
After his career prospered, he bought his wife a fur coat one Christmas and, to make the gift more of a surprise, wrapped it in a microwave box.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Driving into town in my rented car, I saw no obvious signs that Caldwell had ever prospered.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Elections will create winners and losers in individual industries, but I’d rather own businesses capable of prospering across political cycles than build a portfolio around predicting Washington.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 1, 2026
Fundamentally superior stocks are prospering from a stunning earnings environment as well as a booming domestic economy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Since their reintroduction to London three years ago, the colony has been prospering.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
“If we do all that, and everybody’s prospering and they’re all a part of it, and there’s upside for everybody, that’s going to naturally be a bulwark against future conflicts there. Because everybody’s thriving.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025
The motives behind building the new church were twofold: to resurrect the ancient splendor of Byzantium and to show the world the financial wherewithal of die prospering Greek American community.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
