Jump To:

• 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

---

Wealthy ² American  

[wel-thee] / ˈwɛl θi /

noun

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

---

wealthy British  

/ ˈwɛlθɪ /

adjective

1. possessing wealth; affluent; rich

2. of, characterized by, or relating to wealth

3. abounding

   wealthy in friends

---

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

Renters and the wealthy are doing the redecorating.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Jukes meets an undercover reporter posing as a UK-based son of a wealthy American financier, who voices concern that his father could not directly donate to Reform within the law.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

In recent years, prices for these keys have shot up thanks to wealthy buyers—seemingly undeterred by the threat of erosion—clamoring for privacy and convenience amid the island’s swelling popularity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Charlie Hunnam, who appeared in the third installment of “Monster,” portrays her wealthy but ultimately unfortunate father Andrew Borden, and Rebecca Hall plays his second wife, Abby Borden.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

All the wealthy West Side women kept secret candles to burn for good luck, even though it was against the law.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Wealthy investors who piled into private-credit funds have spent months trying to cash out their shares and still can’t.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

Wealthy families have increased sports investing over the past few years, expanding into women’s sports and emerging leagues.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Wealthy investors are embracing 351 exchanges that convert concentrated stockholdings into diversified funds without capital gains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

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 merchants built wide walkways leading directly to their stores, while poor ones jostled for room wherever they could find it.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

For low-income households, any uptick in grocery prices will stretch already strained budgets, while wealthier consumers may not notice the change.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

And a lack of tenant protections combined with an influx of wealthier renters in job hubs allow landlords to keep charging high rates.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

But Beer accepts, however, that hockey cannot match the resources available to wealthier professional sports.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Called a “working class” champion by the United Auto Workers, El-Sayed performed best in wealthier, higher-educated areas of the state.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

I think he sensed my frustration at living in mutually exclusive worlds and thought a game of baseball would bring together my neighborhood friends and my wealthier Riverdale classmates and broaden the horizons of both.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Baby boomers are the wealthiest generation in history.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

These folks comprise the wealthiest generation in history: According to the Federal Reserve, baby boomers control $90 trillion in assets.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

Bratenahl, where the Kansas City Chiefs tight end purchased a $5.35 million mansion, is home to Gilded Age properties that draw some of Cleveland’s wealthiest home buyers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Their owners include schoolteachers and secretaries alongside some of Los Angeles’ wealthiest families.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Only the wealthiest of humans could compete, once they had a contract for vuvv tech, once they could invest in vuvv firms.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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