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• wealthy
  wealthy

  adjective

  having great wealth; rich; affluent.
• Wealthy
  Wealthy

  noun

  a variety of red apple, grown in the U.S., ripening in early autumn.

wealthy

¹ American  

[wel-thee] / ˈwɛl θi /

adjective

wealthier, comparative wealthiest superlative

1. having great wealth; rich; affluent.

   a wealthy person; a wealthy nation.

   Synonyms:

   moneyed, well-to-do, prosperous

   Antonyms:

   poor

2. characterized by, pertaining to, or suggestive of wealth.

   a wealthy appearance.

3. rich in character, quality, or amount; abundant or ample.

   a novel that is wealthy in its psychological insights.

   Synonyms:

   copious

   Antonyms:

   scanty

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Wealthy ² American  

[wel-thee] / ˈwɛl θi /

noun

1. a variety of red apple, grown in the U.S., ripening in early autumn.

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wealthy British  

/ ˈwɛlθɪ /

adjective

1. possessing wealth; affluent; rich

2. of, characterized by, or relating to wealth

3. abounding

   wealthy in friends

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Synonym Usage

See rich.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wealthiness
  noun
• overwealthy
  adjective
• quasi-wealthy
  adjective
• subwealthy
  adjective
• superwealthy
  adjective
• unwealthy
  adjective
• wealthily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• wealthier
  comparative
• wealthiest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of wealthy¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; wealth + -y ¹

Origin of Wealthy²

Origin uncertain

Explanation

If you have riches you are wealthy. Don't be misled into thinking "riches" means only money — to many people, to have a healthy family and to be surrounded by love is to be abundantly wealthy. The Old English word wela, via the Middle English welth, meaning "happiness and prosperity in abundance," is the source of our noun wealth. Although the Middle English wele meant "well-being," the word referred primarily to money and possessions. Many people still feel that way, but Henry David Thoreau offered a different view: "Wealth is the ability to fully experience life." That is, true wealth is having whatever means the most to you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wealthy Wealthy wealthier wealthiest

One new program with $4.9 million of competitive funding available to groups to develop “civilizational self-confidence in Europe” is slated for “research, conferences, cultural engagements, and support for civil society” in wealthy democracies.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

Through the company, Rodriguez began working at least twice a month as a security guard for a wealthy L.A.-based woman who had an ongoing dispute with her husband.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

And the amount of space they get to enjoy ranks last among wealthy Western cities, with fewer square feet per person than Manhattan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

He presented as a wealthy pilot, a former Army major who served with Prince Harry, and a man with more than half a million pounds cash at his disposal.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Henry, too, was said to be wealthy; what’s more, he was a linguistic genius.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Wealthy countries and developing nations are at loggerheads in talks at the World Health Organization's headquarters over how the pandemic agreement, adopted last year, will work in practice.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

Wealthy countries and developing nations are at loggerheads over how the pandemic agreement, which was adopted last year, will work in practice.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

Wealthy buyers are also competing to snap up high-end watches, pushing their prices up.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 13, 2026

Wealthy consumers driving up inflation doesn’t seem to be on the Fed’s radar yet.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 13, 2026

Wealthy research foundations were especially interested in isotopes for medical research and cancer treatment.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

While wealthier Americans have experienced substantial gains in longevity over recent decades, lower-income Americans have seen little or no improvement.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Even going to play in Europe won’t make most players wealthier than an NBA player, a hurdle the U.S. simply will have to accept.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Like elsewhere in the world, births have plummeted in South Korea as the country has grown wealthier.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

They were wealthier, more glamorous, more socially polished.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

If their children were doing poorly at school, the wealthier parents challenged their teachers.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

South Africa is the continent's wealthiest nation and has long attracted migrants searching for better economic opportunities, some of whom enter the illegally.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

In an economy powered to an outsize degree by the spending of the wealthiest Americans, many are starting to wonder if the U.S. stock market is becoming too big to fail.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

He was the wealthiest person ever to hold that office, as well as the first person of color.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

It’s true that older Americans are still by far the wealthiest, but households headed by someone under 40 have seen the greatest equity appreciation, and subsequently, the largest gains in wealth on a percentage basis.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

We meet in the spacious parlor room of the wealthiest lady in the group, who lives in a grand Victorian on the outskirts of town.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• affluent
• independent
• moneyed
• prosperous
• upscale
• well-heeled
• well-off
• well-to-do