prosperous

adjective

pros·​per·​ous ˈprä-sp(ə-)rəs How to pronounce prosperous (audio)
1
2
a
: marked by success or economic well-being
b
: enjoying vigorous and healthy growth : flourishing
prosperously adverb
prosperousness noun

Examples of prosperous in a Sentence

The company had a prosperous year. He predicted a prosperous future.
Recent Examples on the Web When world governments agreed to the 2030 plan back in 2015, a decade and a half seemed like plenty of time to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) designed to create a more prosperous, safe and fair global society. Hans Vestberg, TIME, 25 Sep. 2024 Whether through stocks, real estate, or other investment vehicles, diversifying your investments is key to building a more stable and prosperous financial future. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024 Simply speaking, a diverse workforce makes for a more resilient, agile, and prosperous organization. Marty Davies, Fortune Europe, 18 Sep. 2024 Both seek to represent one of the most prosperous areas of the county. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prosperous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prosperous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of prosperous was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near prosperous

Cite this Entry

“Prosperous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosperous. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

prosperous

adjective
pros·​per·​ous ˈpräs-p(ə-)rəs How to pronounce prosperous (audio)
1
: having or showing success or financial good fortune
2
: strong and healthy in growth
prosperously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on prosperous

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