What does "wealthy" mean?
Synonym of rich: the wealthy people of a society or of the world collectively.
Wealthy
/ˈwɛl.θi/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of rich: the wealthy people of a society or of the world collectively.
- Grammar: wealthy is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: affluent, abounding, abounding in riches, abundant.
- Useful contrasts: impoverished, poor, beggarly.
- Usage evidence: The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders.
How to use "wealthy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wealthy" 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 "wealthy" 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 "wealthy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wealthy" 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 "wealthy" is acting as adj, noun 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 "affluent" 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 "wealthy", 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 Synonym of rich: the wealthy people of a society or of the world collectively. countable, plural, plural-only, uncountable
"... whether consumption patterns of the wealthy are more or less polluting than those of the poor depends on the contaminant in question."
- 2 A certain cultivar of American apple from Minnesota.
"Wealthys and McIntoshes are not good bakers."
- 3 A rich person. countable, uncommon
"F. Scott Fitzgerald never got over Ginevra King's dad reminding him he wasn't a wealthy and needed to aim lower."
Adjective
- 1 Possessing financial wealth; rich.
"As a result of these causes the grazier marks himself off fairly sharply from the rest of Australia. He has always spent a considerable proportion of the time in the capital cities, in each of which he has formed a club to which, besides the graziers, only a few of the wealthiest and most prominent of the city dwellers are admitted."
- 2 Abundant in quality or quantity; profuse.
Adjective
- 1 having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wealthy"?
Common synonyms include: affluent, abounding, abounding in riches, abundant, abundant, affluent.
How do you use "wealthy" in a sentence?
The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders.
How do you pronounce "wealthy"?
Pronounced /ˈwɛl.θi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English welthy, welþi, equivalent to wealth + -y. Cognate with Middle Dutch weldech, weeldech (“magnificent, luscious, lavish”).
Etymology 2
Named by Peter Gideon (1820–1899), creator of the cultivar, after his wife, Wealthy (Hull) Gideon.