riches
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of riches
1175–1225; Middle English, plural of Middle English riche wealth, power ( Old English rīce power, rule; cognate with German Reich realm); confused with Middle English richesse wealth < Old French, equivalent to riche wealthy (< Germanic; see rich) + -esse -ess
Explanation
Use the word riches when you're talking about wealth, including money, treasures, and expensive belongings. Most people who buy lottery tickets dream of winning riches. Occasionally, someone who's born into poverty will grow up to earn riches through hard work and a lot of luck — but more often, people inherit their riches from wealthy relatives. You can also use riches in a figurative way, for something bountiful or profuse: "Let's go to the farmers market and see what riches are available!" Riches was originally richesse, a singular word that was misinterpreted as being plural.
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.
The Brewers, playing in baseball’s smallest market, might not routinely hand out free-agent riches, but owner Mark Attanasio said his team ranks “right in the middle” of the 30 teams in spending on baseball operations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
It doesn’t address an urgent need in human health, nor is it a clear route to riches.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
For McVay, it was an embarrassment of riches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
This debacle is a first-world embarrassment of riches.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Starting around 1150, the six Champagne fairs became the one place where Europeans could buy and sell products from the surrounding world—a first step in connecting them to the riches and tastes beyond.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
