Meaning & use
wealthy
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Having a lot of money, property, or valuable things.
Grammar: Gradable: you can say 'wealthier' or 'the wealthiest'.
Patterns
- wealthy person
- wealthy family
- wealthy nation
She comes from a wealthy family and never had to worry about money.
The wealthy businessman donated a large sum to the hospital.
Only the wealthiest students could afford to study abroad.
Word forms
| comparative | wealthier |
|---|---|
| superlative | wealthiest |
Common combinations
- wealthy background
- He came from a wealthy background but chose to live simply.
- wealthy investor
- The startup attracted a wealthy investor.
- grow wealthy
- The family grew wealthy through hard work and smart investments.
- wealthy enough to
- They were wealthy enough to retire early.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rich
- More common and informal than wealthy; wealthy is slightly more formal and often used in writing about people or communities.
- affluent
- Even more formal than wealthy and often used to describe areas or groups, not just individuals.
- prosperous
- Focuses on success and growth, often over time, while wealthy focuses on having a lot of money.
Opposites
Word family
- wealth noun
- The state of being rich; a large amount of money or valuable possessions.
- wealthily adverb
- In a wealthy manner; rarely used.
Commonly confused: wealthy or healthy?
wealthy vs healthy
Healthy means in good health, while wealthy means having a lot of money. They sound similar but are very different.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'wealthy' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Wealthy means having a lot of money or property, so owning three houses fits. The other options misuse the word grammatically or in meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wealthy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.