prosper

verb

pros·​per ˈprä-spər 

prospered; prospering ˈprä-sp(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to succeed in an enterprise or activity

especially : to achieve economic success

2

: to become strong and flourishing

transitive verb

: to cause to succeed or thrive

Synonyms of prosper

• thrive
• flourish

Examples of prosper in a Sentence

She prospered as a real estate agent.

He hopes his business will prosper.

No crop can prosper in this heat.

Recent Examples on the Web

Decades later, Playbill began covering theater with feature stories about Broadway shows as the White Way prospered. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026

All of which now makes for a sad twist, particularly considering how both franchises prospered by the association along the way. —Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026

Footage unveiled today exclusively for the room showed a power struggle brewing in between the forces of good, who prospered in a stunning magical kingdom of woods and water, and those who want to root it out. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026

While Standard Oil’s bread and butter was the sale of kerosene, which replaced whale oil for lighting homes and businesses, its descendants prospered through the sale of gasoline for the ever-growing use of cars and trucks. —Alex Kuffner, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prosperen, borrowed from Anglo-French prosperer "to promote, foster, be fortunate or successful," borrowed from Latin prosperāre "to cause to succeed, further" (Medieval Latin also, in passive, "to be granted success, succeed"), verbal derivative of prosperus "agreeable to one's wishes, successful, prosperous"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

prosper

verb

pros·​per ˈpräs-pər 

prospered; prospering -p(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to succeed or make money in something one is doing

2

: thrive sense 1, flourish

3

: to cause to become prosperous