prosperous

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adjective pros·per·ous \ ˈpräs-p(ə-)rəs \

Definition of prosperous

1 :auspicious, favorable

2 a :marked by success or economic well-being

b :enjoying vigorous and healthy growth :flourishing

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prosperously

adverb

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prosperousness

noun

See prosperous defined for English-language learners

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Examples of prosperous in a Sentence

The company had a prosperous year.
He predicted a prosperous future.

Recent Examples of prosperous from the Web

His parents, Lili and Gary (short for Asghar) Khosrowshahi, were prosperous members of the Iranian elite in the 1960s and 1970s.

— david streitfeld and nellie bowles, New York Times, "Uber’s C.E.O. Pick, Dara Khosrowshahi, Steps Into Brighter Spotlight," 28 Aug. 2017
Last fall, the City Council’s economic development committee was considering property tax rebates for a new development in midtown, one of the city’s most prosperous areas.

— steve harrison, charlotteobserver, "Vi Lyles has deep knowledge of Charlotte. Is she bold enough to use it as mayor?," 25 Aug. 2017
Mugabe has ruled the once-prosperous southern African nation since 1980 and is already campaigning for next year's elections, despite growing concerns about his health.

— Bloomberg.com, "Zimbabwe to Spend $1 Billion on University Honoring Mugabe," 9 Aug. 2017
In the ‘50s and ‘60s life in Sicily was not so prosperous.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Summer cooking at Vincenzo's is family-inspired, vibrant and colorful," 8 Aug. 2017
There is none of the flash and glitz so prevalent in China’s far more prosperous cities.

— bill powell, MSNBC Newsweek, "Will Trump Stop the 10 Chinese Companies Supplying North Korea's Nuclear Program?," 13 July 2017
Just last year, his profound insight into music consumption finessed him from an unhappy record deal into prosperous free agency.

— chris payne, Billboard, "Frank Ocean's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks," 8 July 2017
Some of that success, Decker hopes, will help ignite a prosperous mariculture industry by providing existing infrastructure, fishing boats, an interested workforce and marketing savvy.

— bethany goodrich, Alaska Dispatch News, "Farming Alaska’s seas," 8 July 2017
Twenty years after Hong Kong’s reunification with China, many residents in this prosperous global city say much of the change that has occurred since then hasn’t been for the better.

— michael holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "Amid anniversary protests, fears that Hong Kong is 'just another mainland city'," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prosperous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of prosperous

Middle English, from Medieval Latin prosperosus, from Latin prosperus

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First Known Use: 15th century

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prosperous Synonyms

Synonyms

booming, boomy, flourishing, golden, halcyon, healthy, lush, palmy, prospering, roaring, successful, thriving

Antonyms

depressed, unprosperous, unsuccessful

Related Words

affluent, moneyed (also monied), opulent, rich, substantial, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do; comfortable

Near Antonyms

declining, dying, failing, floundering, languishing, struggling; bankrupt, bankrupted, insolvent

PROSPEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

prosperous

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adjective

Definition of prosperous for English Language Learners

: having success usually by making a lot of money

PROSPEROUS Defined for Kids

prosperous

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adjective pros·per·ous \ ˈprä-spə-rəs \

Definition of prosperous for Students

1 :having or showing success or financial good fortune

2 :strong and healthy in growth

a prosperous town

Learn More about prosperous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for prosperous Spanish Central: Translation of prosperous Nglish: Translation of prosperous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prosperous for Arabic speakers

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Examples of prosperous in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of prosperous

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PROSPEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

prosperous

Definition of prosperous for English Language Learners

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