riches

plural noun

rich·​es ˈri-chəz How to pronounce riches (audio)
: things that make one rich : wealth

Examples of riches in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The dream of Gold Rush riches spurred large-scale white settlement starting in 1848. Ben Tarnoff, The New York Review of Books, 31 Aug. 2023 Rags to riches stories are few and far between in English soccer, and the blending of crypto and sports has previously led to hostilities between clubs and their fans. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2023 If ever there was a riches to rags—and back to riches—rock ‘n roll tale begging to be told, the decades-long odyssey of Leon Russell would be it. Brad Cohan, SPIN, 14 Mar. 2023 Kareem played only six seasons in Milwaukee and reached two NBA Finals, which was probably a wealth of riches that Milwaukee fans couldn't fully appreciate, given the infancy of the franchise. 4. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2023 Since the war in Ukraine began, Russia has followed a similar strategy across the continent, using its gas riches — and pain at the pump — to play havoc with European economies. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2023 Apart from his new major label deal, AG Baby flexes his co-sign from Oluwa (which means God in Yoruba) and his riches on the vivacious beat, co-produced by Kel-P and Monro, which ensures the vibes are not just immaculate but also eternal. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2023 Her feature film directorial debut, the spicy rags-to-riches comedy Flamin’ Hot, is set to open at the South by Southwest Festival and lands on Hulu and Disney+ on June 9. Erik Maza, Town & Country, 29 Mar. 2023 Linedy Genao was reared on a series of Cinderellas—or, as her Spanish-speaking Dominican-American family calls the iconic rags-to-riches heroine, Cenicienta. Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'riches.' 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, singular or plural, from richesse wealth, from Anglo-French richesce, from riche rich, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English rīce rich

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of riches was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near riches

Cite this Entry

“Riches.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riches. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

riches

noun plural
rich·​es ˈrich-əz How to pronounce riches (audio)
: things that make one rich : wealth
Etymology

Middle English richesse, originally not a plural but a singular noun meaning "richness"

More from Merriam-Webster on riches

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!