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well-to-do
adjective
: having more than adequate financial resources : prosperous
a well-to-do family
Synonyms
Examples of well-to-do in a Sentence
a doctor who is now quite well-to-do as a result of his successful medical practice
Recent Examples on the Web
Before she got married, Kate was already relatively well-to-do.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 4 May 2024
Patrick was always a very well-to-do Jewish guy, and Art was always a somewhat well-to-do WASP.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024
The neighborhood is home to a variety of Victorian and Queen Anne-style houses; sycamore, palm and walnut trees — and previously, well-to-do and working-class residents.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
Looking to catch a break, less well-to-do households shell out more on these lotteries than wealthier ones do, according to The Economist’s analysis of public-records requests.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Over time, that creates gaps between neighborhoods: Homeowners in Staten Island, much of the Bronx and parts of Brooklyn and Queens end up paying much more relative to the value of their homes compared with those in well-to-do neighborhoods.
—Camille Baker, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Other well-to-do sorts followed Vanderbilt’s example, including Thomas Edison, who constructed an in-ground version at his Florida home in 1910.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
The princess is the oldest of three children brought up in a well-to-do neighborhood in Berkshire, west of London.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
The drastic change is raising concerns that working-class families are being displaced — either lured by cash offers that aren’t enough to buy housing elsewhere or forced from affordable rentals — to be replaced by a well-to-do transitory population.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'well-to-do.' 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
1794, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near well-to-do
Cite this Entry
“Well-to-do.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/well-to-do. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
well-to-do
adjectiveˌwel-tə-ˈdü
: having plenty of money and possessions : prosperous
More from Merriam-Webster on well-to-do
Nglish: Translation of well-to-do for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of well-to-do for Arabic Speakers
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