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.
Malcolm Fraser is an Edinburgh-based architect who also sits on the board of the Common Weal, a social and economic equality think tank.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Jordan Weal scored at 11:41, and Nick Suzuki all but sealed it at 14:42.
From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2019
Travis Konecny had a goal, two assists and got into fight, Jordan Weal scored an empty-net goal and Claude Giroux had three assists for Philadelphia.
From Washington Times • Nov. 23, 2018
On a recent morning in a SoHo hotel suite, representatives from Dyson joined Jon Reyman, a hairstylist and an owner of the Spoke & Weal salons, to demonstrate.
From New York Times • Oct. 9, 2018
“When Vict’ry crowns the Public Weal With Glee we give the merry Peal.”
From English Villages by Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
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.
