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

• 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

But American science, including space science, has paid enormous dividends in keeping the nation strong, prosperous, and worthy of the world’s respect. —Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025

The One Big Beautiful Bill does just that, delivering real tax relief and laying the foundation for a stronger, more prosperous nation. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025

Harvard is too hubristic, too fat and prosperous, too insular, too aloof, and too dogmatic to admit that it’s erred ... —Brian T. Allen, National Review, 28 June 2025

That stability is a credit to the franchise’s prosperous path over the last two decades but also to its ability to retain front-office talent. —Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 19 June 2025

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