well-to-do
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-to-do
First recorded in 1815–25
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.
In the early days, such caps would affect only a small number of well-to-do retirees.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026
Harrogate's reputation as a well-to-do area hid the reality of life there for some people, Wright added.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Nob Hill had a reputation as a relatively well-to-do enclave, but here, in its outer reaches, the vacancies were becoming hard to ignore.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
That means the less well-to-do schools are much, much worse.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
The Andersons lived in a lovely clapboard house at the corner of Washington and Main, a few blocks past the hubbub of stores and businesses, where the town settled into private residences for the well-to-do.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Definitions 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.
