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

Yang recalls prosperous years before surrounding villages were dismantled. —ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026

Venezuela was once among the most prosperous economies in Latin America, supported by vast energy reserves, strong trade flows and a growing middle class. —Oscar De La Rosa, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026

These are all public goods that make our world more prosperous, accurate, and knowledgeable. —Darian Woods, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026

Economic pressures are gripping Americans across the country, but Maryland stands out as a uniquely unaffordable state — in large part due to a complete lack of executive commitment to keep the state affordable and economically prosperous. —Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 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