affluent 1 of 2

affluent

2 of 2

noun

as in tributary
a stream that flows into a larger body of water the Nipigon and the St. Louis rivers are affluents of Lake Superior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word affluent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of affluent are opulent, rich, and wealthy. While all these words mean "having goods, property, and money in abundance," affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

When could opulent be used to replace affluent?

The synonyms opulent and affluent are sometimes interchangeable, but opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

When is rich a more appropriate choice than affluent?

The words rich and affluent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

When can wealthy be used instead of affluent?

Although the words wealthy and affluent have much in common, wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of affluent
Adjective
Not to be overlooked, affluent enclaves in the Mountain West like Park City, Utah’s 84060 deliver median list prices exceeding $3.4 million, anchored by monumental properties asking $40 million. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 June 2025 Mamdani also carried Crown Heights (55 percent) and Bedford-Stuyvesant (64 percent), longtime hubs of Cuomo’s base of older, Black voters but also nowadays home to many younger, affluent residents. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 June 2025
Noun
But the affluent of many past periods also invested in the shared betterment of society, understanding that doing so helped justify the existence of wealth inequality. Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025 The author also notes that the illusion of easy prosperity promotes a cycle of self-blame among the poor, benefiting the affluent who are not obligated to assist their less fortunate neighbors. Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for affluent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affluent
Adjective
  • While the tax may be imagined for wealthy folks like Swift, Rhode Island natives could also be impacted by the tax, Stephen MacGillivray, a Pierce Atwood partner, told USA TODAY.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 27 June 2025
  • Democrats have already recoiled at the anti-Muslim attacks he’s faced since Tuesday, and the nervous backroom meetings of wealthy people who want to stop him.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Unlike flooding, other techniques (for example drip irrigation) do not cause water to overflow the field and runoff into a tributary, where the nutrient pollution enters the wider aqueous ecosystem.
    Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • White water rafting, kayaking and canoeing: The Trinity River, a 203-mile tributary of the Klamath River, starts in the Trinity Alps and features calm waters and multiple classes of white water.
    Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • This rich cream also has panthenol and niacinamide for a smooth and bouncy complexion.
    Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Now, four years later, 40 square miles of river-floodplain wetlands are now rehydrated, rich wildlife is starting to come back, and the wild system proved its value during 2022’s Hurricane Ian.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Affluent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affluent. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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