opulence

noun

op·​u·​lence ˈä-pyə-lən(t)s 

1

: wealth, affluence

the opulence of prerevolutionary monarchs

2

: abundance, profusion

an opulence of fruits

Synonyms

• assets
• capital
• fortune
• means
• riches
• substance
• wealth
• wherewithal
• worth

Examples of opulence in a Sentence

in some parts of the city nearly unimaginable opulence can be found side by side with nearly unthinkable poverty

Recent Examples on the Web

That plays out in the visually surreal musical sequence halfway through the movie, where, at Smoke and Stack’s juke joint, the blues is traced to gospel, funk, twerk music, West Coast gangsta rap, HBCU marching bands, and even Kanye West’s opulence. —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 25 Apr. 2025

The garment’s elaborate embroidery and opulence prompted many to look more closely as models passed by, or to touch the styles at the designer’s encouragement. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 25 Apr. 2025

Perched on the edge of a cliff in Cundinamarca, Colombia, the Hotel Del Salto is a relic of the opulence and horrors of colonialism. —Josh Rivera, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025

By Biz Carson | Bloomberg In San Francisco’s financial district, the One Montgomery building evokes the opulence of America’s turn of the 20th century gilded age. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin opulentia, from opulentus "abounding in resources, opulent" + -ia -ia entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1518, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

opulence

noun

op·​u·​lence ˈäp-yə-lən(t)s 

: great wealth