weal
1 Americannoun
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well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the public weal;
weal and woe.
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Obsolete. wealth or riches.
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Obsolete. the body politic; the state.
noun
noun
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archaic prosperity or wellbeing (now esp in the phrases the public weal, the common weal )
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obsolete the state
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obsolete wealth
noun
Etymology
Origin of weal1
First recorded before 900; Middle English wele, Old English wela; akin to well 1
Origin of weal2
Explanation
A weal is a sore or other mark on the skin. Don't pick up that hot pan without an oven mitt — it will burn you and leave a red weal on your hand. Think of a weal as the painful-looking mark on the skin. In medicine, weal means an itchy, raised rash: "The weals on his neck make me think he's allergic to cats." This noun also has a completely different meaning: it can refer to a state of being content and prosperous, especially when discussing society as a whole. These two meanings of weal have different roots.
Vocabulary lists containing weal
King Lear
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 9
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The Tombs of Atuan
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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.
As a result of its big-picture status as a niche industry, sports’ impact on the public weal is modest, except to entertain those who find joy in it.
From Washington Post • Jun. 30, 2021
By diverting investment towards repairing landscapes and contributing to the public weal, rewilders are taking money away from conventional economic activities.
From The Guardian • Feb. 25, 2020
Wery good thing is weal pie, when you know the lady as made it, and is quite sure it ain’t kittens.…
From The New Yorker • Jul. 15, 2015
Politicos can then return to the search for the general weal.
From Economist • Aug. 30, 2013
She fills a handkerchief with the snow-coat mixture and I hold it to the weal on my cheek.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions 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.
