wealthy

adjective

ˈwel-thē How to pronounce wealthy (audio)
 also  ˈwelt-thē
wealthier; wealthiest
1
: having wealth : very affluent
2
: characterized by abundance : ample
wealthily adverb
wealthiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for wealthy

rich, wealthy, affluent, opulent mean having goods, property, and money in abundance.

rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

Examples of wealthy in a Sentence

He is a wealthy entrepreneur. the wealthiest nations in the world
Recent Examples on the Web During the pandemic, South Florida got wealthier with corporate expansions, some of the world’s wealthiest — remember hedge fund Citadel Founder Ken Griffin and Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos? — moving to Miami, and those executives bringing their staff. Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 The new tax changes could help Biden capitalize on this attention and possibly secure votes from the more than half of Americans who think corporations and wealthy individuals don’t pay their fair share of taxes. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 Venita Ozols-Graham (USA), 2023 After her wealthy new husband dies unexpectedly, a young widow contacts a mystical Ossan to protect her from the teenaged step sons hell bent on eliminating her to regain control of the estate. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 As an ongoing civil lawsuit in Mississippi alleges, too often these funds get funneled into the pockets of wealthy donors through grants rather than going to the poor as intended. TIME, 21 Mar. 2024 The crowd of wealthy Dallas donors—including the billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, a Republican who refuses to vote for Trump—cracked up. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024 Just as software and data have been used to make a select few wealthy, tech could be used to find solutions to large vexing social problems in education, health and climate. Jim Fruchterman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Bernie Moreno, a wealthy former car dealer who has never held political office, won the right to face off against Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in what promises to be one of the marquee races of 2024. Rick Klein, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Time and money Over the decades, primaries have tended to benefit incumbents – and some wealthy challengers – because of two essential elements: Time and money. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wealthy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near wealthy

Cite this Entry

“Wealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wealthy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wealthy

adjective
wealthier; wealthiest
1
: having wealth : rich
2
: marked by plenty : abundant
wealthiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wealthy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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