weal

¹

[ weel ]

noun

1. well-being, prosperity, or happiness:

   the public weal;

   weal and woe.

2. Obsolete. wealth or riches.
3. Obsolete. the body politic; the state.

weal

²

[ weel ]

noun

1. wheal ( def 2 ).

weal

¹

/ wiːl /

noun

1. a raised mark on the surface of the body produced by a blow Also calledwaleweltwheal

weal

²

/ wiːl /

noun

1. archaic.
   prosperity or wellbeing (now esp in the phrases the public weal, the common weal )
2. obsolete.
   the state
3. obsolete.
   wealth

Word History and Origins

Origin of weal¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wele, Old English wela; akin to well ¹

Origin of weal²

Variant of wale ¹, with ea of wheal

Word History and Origins

Origin of weal¹

C19: variant of wale ¹, influenced in form by wheal

Origin of weal²

Old English wela; related to Old Saxon welo, Old High German wolo

Example Sentences

Liberals: Not high taxes per se, for their own sake, but enough taxes to serve the public weal.

From The Daily Beast

Life shaped for eternal woe, eternal weal, by the deeds of a few earthly moments.

From Project Gutenberg

Poverty does not change its power of holding the members together through weal or woe.

From Project Gutenberg

Nothing could inspire him with greater hope for the public weal.

From Project Gutenberg

Neither ask, nor fret, nor strive:Where thy path is, thou shall go.He who made the streams of timeWafts thee down to weal or woe.

From Project Gutenberg

Our life, our morals, are affecting our children for weal or woe, whether we realise or shirk the fact.

From Project Gutenberg