weal

¹ American  

[weel] / wil /

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.

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weal ² American  

[weel] / wil /

noun

1. wheal.

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weal ¹ British  

/ 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

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weal ² British  

/ wiːl /

noun

1. Also called: wale.   welt.   wheal.  a raised mark on the surface of the body produced by a blow

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Etymology

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

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.

Example Sentences

Yet he did make one enduring contribution to the public weal, if unintentionally.

From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2022

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

Is shaming undeserved when people give not a second’s thought to the common weal?

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2012

Because of the bread, because of the red weal that stood out on his cheekbone.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins