What does "weal" mean?
Wealth, riches.
Weal
/wiːl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Wealth, riches.
- Grammar: weal is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: welt, affluence, bed of roses, birthmark.
- Useful contrasts: destitution, ill-being, misery.
- Usage evidence: Laws should be made for the public weal, not for private interests.
How to use "weal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "weal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "weal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "weal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "weal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "weal" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "welt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "weal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Wealth, riches. obsolete, uncountable
- 2 A raised, longitudinal wound, usually purple, on the surface of flesh caused by a stroke of a rod or whip; a welt.
"[A]lthough a few [slaves] live comfortably at Paramaribo, the greateſt number are wretched, particularly thoſe governed by a lady, who have many weals to ſhow, but not the ſmallest indulgence to boaſt of."
- 3 a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions wordnet
- 4 Welfare, prosperity. literary, uncountable
"Therefore for Gods loue, and as we loue the weale of our Soules and Bodies, let us ſo behaue our ſelues, as we may be at peace with God, and may finde grace in the Eyes of this People."
- 5 Boon, benefit. broadly, uncountable
"And indeed I blamed myself and sore repented me of having taken compassion on him and continued in this condition, suffering fatigue not to be described, till I said to myself, "I wrought him a weal and he requited me with my ill; by Allah, never more will I do any man a service so long as I live!""
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Specifically, the general happiness of a community, country etc. (often with qualifying word). uncountable
"Yet never was there a time when it more concerned the public weal, that the character of the parliament should stand high."
Verb
- 1 To mark with stripes; to wale.
Antonyms
Example
"Laws should be made for the public weal, not for private interests."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "weal"?
Common synonyms include: welt, affluence, bed of roses, birthmark, blackhead, bleb.
How do you use "weal" in a sentence?
Laws should be made for the public weal, not for private interests.
How do you pronounce "weal"?
Pronounced /wiːl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English wele, from Old English wela (“wellness, welfare, prosperity, riches, well-being, wealth”), from Proto-West Germanic *welō, from Proto-Germanic *walô (“well-being, wellness, weal”). Cognate with German Wohl, Danish vel, Swedish väl.
Etymology 2
See wale.