wealth
Americannoun
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a great quantity or store of money, valuable possessions, property, or other riches.
the wealth of a city.
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an abundance or profusion of anything; plentiful amount.
a wealth of imagery.
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Economics.
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all things that have a monetary or exchange value.
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anything that has utility and is capable of being appropriated or exchanged.
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rich or valuable contents or produce.
the wealth of the soil.
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the state of being rich; prosperity; affluence.
persons of wealth and standing.
- Antonyms:
- poverty
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Obsolete. happiness.
noun
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a large amount of money and valuable material possessions
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the state of being rich
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a great profusion
a wealth of gifts
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economics all goods and services with monetary, exchangeable, or productive value
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wealth
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English welth; equivalent to well 1 + -th 1; modeled on health
Explanation
The word wealth has many shades of meaning, but most involve having a lot of something — often money or something else that's valuable. You might have a wealth of experience, or you might have great personal wealth. First used in the mid-13th century, the noun wealth can mean having a lot of material goods or money. A person with this kind of wealth may have a chateau in Italy with a vineyard and a personal yacht. Wealth can also mean a big supply of something. The birth of a newborn baby will surely bring a wealth of happiness and joy to a family.
Vocabulary lists containing wealth
Tax Day Words
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"A Suitcase of Seaweed" and "Immigrants Today"
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"The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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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.
"Forty-three percent of household wealth is now exposed to the stock market, an increase of 10 percentage points from 2000," said Cavalier.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
The firm is a throwback to an earlier era when wealth advisers actually picked stocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The third day is the main celebration, when families offer evening prayers to Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, before gathering for festive meals and fireworks.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Alicia Levine, of BNY’s wealth management business, said markets have not priced in the possibility of the war in Iran lasting for a long time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Here were even more—centuries’ worth of hidden wealth from every empire that had ever claimed this land—Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and so many others.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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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.
