wealthy

¹

[ wel-thee ]

adjective

, wealth·i·er, wealth·i·est.

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

[ wel-thee ]

noun

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

wealthy

/ ˈwɛlθɪ /

adjective

1. possessing wealth; affluent; rich
2. of, characterized by, or relating to wealth
3. abounding

   wealthy in friends

Derived Forms

• ˈwealthiness, noun
• ˈwealthily, adverb

Other Words From

• wealthi·ly adverb
• wealthi·ness noun
• over·wealthy adjective
• quasi-wealthy adjective
• sub·wealthy adjective
• super·wealthy adjective
• un·wealthy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wealthy¹

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

Origin of wealthy²

Origin uncertain

Synonym Study

See rich.

Example Sentences

It’s still really, really, really expensive to send people into space, and those who are not bankrolled by a government or a wealthy company have to pay their own way.

From MIT Technology Review

The more cowries were worn, the wealthier the wearer was believed to be.

From Essence.com

Riding on the company’s soaring stock price, Musk is now wealthier than Mark Zuckerberg.

From Fortune

Another wide-open race can be found in Kennedy’s old 4th Congressional District, which stretches from wealthy Boston suburbs to working-class cities along the Rhode Island border.

From FiveThirtyEight

India’s retail industry has become a racetrack for two of the world’s wealthiest men—and one might well be close to the finish line.

From Quartz

A hundred ultra-wealthy liberal and conservative donors have taken over the political system.

From The Daily Beast

Little did I know that Lee had actually been born into a wealthy family.

From The Daily Beast

In March, police arrested a group of wealthy businessmen and government officials who were about to dine on illegal tiger meat.

From The Daily Beast

Not to those in power, not to the cruel and inhumane, not to the wealthy.

From The Daily Beast

No surprise then that aside from wealthy coastal suburbs, the Democratic base has shrunk to the urban cores and college towns.

From The Daily Beast

The tattered outcast dozes on his bench while the chariot of the wealthy is drawn by.

From Project Gutenberg

In the courts of princes and wealthy natives the vessels and tubes are lavishly adorned with precious metals.

From Project Gutenberg

And my people shall sit in the beauty of peace, and in the tabernacles of confidence, and in wealthy rest.

From Project Gutenberg

And the wealthy class by no means monopolized the bay with their yachts and luxurious launches.

From Project Gutenberg

James Pulteney, a wealthy English baron, died; whose income was $250,000 per annum.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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