wealthy

adjective

ˈwel-thē 

also ˈwelt-thē

wealthier; wealthiest

1

: having wealth : very affluent

2

: characterized by abundance : ample

wealthily

ˈwel-thə-lē 

adverb

wealthiness

ˈwel-thē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of wealthy

• affluent
• rich

Choose the Right Synonym for wealthy

rich, wealthy, affluent, opulent mean having goods, property, and money in abundance.

rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

Examples of wealthy in a Sentence

He is a wealthy entrepreneur.

the wealthiest nations in the world

Recent Examples on the Web

The two Democrats are both wealthy and locked in intra-party, generational battles in the Sacramento region. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Born in 1865 into a wealthy family of landowners and wine merchants, Fayet learned to paint alongside his father and uncle, both amateur artists. — Julie Coe, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026

Populated almost entirely by impossibly wealthy characters reveling in penthouse splendor, the Astaire-Rogers movies argued with high style against the proposition that the material and social rewards of wealth were dubious. — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Evans, 34, comes from a wealthy San Diego hotel family and stood by Holmes as her blood-testing startup Theranos collapsed and she was convicted in 2022 of defrauding investors. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wealthy

• the wealthy

Rhymes for wealthy

• healthy
• stealthy
• unhealthy

Kids Definition

wealthy

adjective

ˈwel-thē 

wealthier; wealthiest

1

: having wealth : rich

2

: marked by plenty : abundant

wealthiness

-thē-nəs 

noun