DictionaryAI

wealthy

USWEL-thee/ˈwɛl.θi/

Noun pluralwealthies

4 meanings of wealthy

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Having a large amount of money and expensive things.

    Like someone whose wallet is always full of money.

    The wealthy family owned three houses by the sea.

    Her uncle became wealthy after selling his business.

    Similarrich, affluent, prosperous, well-off, moneyed

    Oppositepoor, impoverished, destitute, needy

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable or uncountableplural
    Rich people thought of as a group in a country or the world.

    In many cities, the wealthy live in gated neighborhoods.

    The new law asks the wealthy to pay more in taxes.

    Similarrich

    Oppositepoor

    Note
  3. 3
    adjective
    Having a large amount of something, like food or resources.

    Like a tree so full of apples that the branches bend down.

    The valley is wealthy in fish, so everyone there eats well.

    Their garden gives a wealthy crop of vegetables each fall.

    Similarrich, abundant, replete, full

    Oppositepoor, lacking, deficient

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 4
    nounrarecountable
    A person who has a lot of money.
    Ending tax cuts to wealthies would only increase tax revenues by $40 - $60 billion a year - about 20% of current deficit - so it's a waste of time.
    2006, “Can the Democrats Deliver?”, in Washington PostHere, wealthies means people who have a lot of money.
    it was possible for a group like the Libertarians to hope that a couple of weakminded wealthies might donate the seed money to get a campaign rolling.
    1975, “A Real Presidential Choice Is Being Ignored”, in Evening IndependentHere, wealthies means rich people.

    Oppositepauper

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English welthy, made from wealth plus -y.