flourishing

adjective

flour·​ish·​ing ˈflər-i-shiŋ How to pronounce flourishing (audio)
ˈflə-rish
: marked by vigorous and healthy growth
a flourishing garden
: very active and successful
a flourishing career
flourishingly adverb
flourishingly vibrant begonias
Even a few years ago, scientists had studied only a handful of galactic specimens. But recently, galaxy collections have grown flourishingly. Ann Finkbeiner

Examples of flourishing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rather than stopping drinking, the ban over time has led to a flourishing and dangerous bootleg market. Leily Nikounazar, New York Times, 14 July 2023 Researchers asked participating students before and after the interactions to measure their self-perceptions of flourishing, positive and negative affect, social connectedness, happiness, integration into the campus community, stress, homesickness, and loneliness. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024 The Taylor Swift industrial complex is alive and flourishing. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 26 Jan. 2024 The inability to afford homes, the time and cost of commuting, and the shortage of school and elderly care places have put flourishing cities out of reach for many working people. Ian Goldin, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023 Research in Palau has already identified other populations of coral that are heat-resistant and flourishing. Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2023 Between the early days of the artist-woodsman ornithologists and the death of Brasher a century and a half later, the science of ornithology spun off a vital and flourishing adjunct: birdwatching. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2023 Despite a vast and flourishing film industry that produces more than 1,600 films annually and a population of 1.4 billion, India has only 8,700 screens, compared to China, which boasts more than 80,000 screens for a similar population size. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2023 Right now nature in Dallas is budding, blooming and flourishing, so buyers can see exactly what homes have to offer during the city’s green season. Allie Beth Allman & Associates, Dallas News, 20 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flourishing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English florysschyng, from present participle of florisshen "to flourish entry 1"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flourishing was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near flourishing

Cite this Entry

“Flourishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flourishing. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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