prosperous

adjective

pros·​per·​ous ˈprä-sp(ə-)rəs 

1

: auspicious, favorable

2

a

: marked by success or economic well-being

b

: enjoying vigorous and healthy growth : flourishing

prosperously adverb

prosperousness noun

Synonyms of prosperous

• thriving
• prospering
• successful
• wealthy
• golden
• booming

Examples of prosperous in a Sentence

The company had a prosperous year.

He predicted a prosperous future.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a country as prosperous as Switzerland, one could be forgiven for asking, Enough of what? —Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

In the long run, the best-case scenario is that these companies are financial successes and make many of us prosperous in turn. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026

But in other ways this idea was unique to Oak Grove, a peaceful and prosperous neighborhood about 10 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. —Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026

Ten minutes down the road from Thiepval, on the other side of the highway leading to today’s prosperous French border city of Amiens, lies the German war cemetery at Fricourt. —Literary Hub, 27 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin prosperus "agreeable to one's wishes, successful, (of omens) propitious" (going back to *pro-sparo-, from pro- pro- entry 2 + *sparo-, going back to Indo-European *sph₁-ró- "thriving") + -ous -ous — more at speed entry 1

Note: An apparently traditional explanation is recorded by the fourth/fifth century grammarian Nonius Marcellus, namely, that prosperus was in origin from the phrase prō spērē "in conformity with one's hope" (spērē being taken as a variant of spē, ablative of spēs "hope"), though this may best be regarded as a folk etymology. It fails to account for the short e in prosperus.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

prosperous

adjective

pros·​per·​ous ˈpräs-p(ə-)rəs 

1

: having or showing success or financial good fortune

2

: strong and healthy in growth

prosperously adverb