Meaning & use
prosperous new year
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
a greeting wishing someone a successful and wealthy year ahead.
Grammar: Used as a complete greeting, often after 'wish you' or 'have a'.
Patterns
- wish someone a prosperous new year
- have a prosperous new year
- a prosperous new year to you
We wish you and your family a prosperous new year.
She sent a card saying 'Prosperous New Year' to all her clients.
Have a happy and prosperous new year!
Common combinations
- wish you a prosperous new year
- I called my old boss to wish her a prosperous new year.
- a happy and prosperous new year
- The sign outside the shop read 'A happy and prosperous new year to all our customers'.
- prosperous new year to you
- Prosperous new year to you and your team!
- may you have a prosperous new year
- May you have a prosperous new year filled with good health.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Happy New Year
- This is the everyday greeting and fits almost any situation; 'prosperous new year' sounds more formal and focuses on success and money.
- best wishes for the new year
- A neutral, slightly formal phrase used in cards; it does not specifically mention wealth or success.
Word family
- prosperity noun
- the state of being successful and wealthy.
- prosper verb
- to become successful, especially in money matters.
- prosperously adverb
- in a successful or wealthy manner.
Commonly confused: prosperous new year or prosperous new year's?
prosperous new year vs prosperous new year's
Do not add an apostrophe. 'New Year' here is the holiday itself, not something belonging to it.
Practice
Which sentence uses the greeting naturally?
Choose one answer.
The phrase works as the object of 'wish': 'wished me a prosperous new year'. The others treat a fixed greeting as a verb, an adjective or a subject, which English does not allow.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prosperous new year”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.