affluent 1 of 2

Definition of affluentnext

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
The American family that adopted Adler in 1990 raised him in an affluent Chicago suburb. ABC News, 28 May 2026 There has always been an achievement gap between affluent schools and schools in poorer communities. Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Noun
The conventional wisdom sees meager job growth as largely a result of immigration restrictions and demographics, disconnected from still-healthy GDP-tracking models that capture urgent capex levels and free spending by the affluent. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025 But only once has the mercantile danced with the affluent to such sensuous effect in the realm of fiction. JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for affluent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affluent
Adjective
  • The ultra-wealthy city-state of Monaco on the French Riviera is no stranger to luxury hotels—fellow grand dames Hôtel de Paris and Hermitage sit at the heart of the action around Casino Square—each vying to outdo the other with fancy arrivals and impeccably discreet service.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
  • Coincidentally, that was the year when Frédéric Boucheron began courting the New World’s wealthy clientele on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, taking part in the Philadelphia World’s Fair — a move that would net him a grand prize and the Legion of Honor.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
Noun
  • More than fifty meters tall, the monument rises abruptly above the banks of the river Ancre, a tributary of the Somme.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
  • The road runs alongside the Madeira River — one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries that has suffered from droughts that disrupt cargo transport.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 May 2026
Adjective
  • Over the course of Gregory Orr’s long career, his poems have become increasingly incantatory, more and more like chants or psalms, repeating, reformulating, reaching for the edges of the same rich metaphors.
    Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
  • Time gave us the late-career brilliance of filmmakers like Jane Campion, Agnès Varda, Claire Denis, and Kathryn Bigelow, whose work became richer, fiercer, and more self-assured because these women had lived and learned so much.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Affluent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affluent. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

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