prosperous

[pros-per-uhs]

adjective

1. having or characterized by financial success or good fortune; flourishing; successful.

   a prosperous business.

   Synonyms: thriving

2. well-to-do or well-off.

   a prosperous family.

   Synonyms: rich, wealthy

3. favorable or propitious.

   Synonyms: auspicious, lucky, fortunate

prosperous

/ ˈprɒspərəs /

adjective

1. flourishing; prospering

2. rich; affluent; wealthy

3. favourable or promising

Other Word Forms

• prosperously adverb
• prosperousness noun
• nonprosperous adjective
• nonprosperously adverb
• nonprosperousness noun
• overprosperous adjective
• overprosperously adverb
• overprosperousness noun
• pseudoprosperous adjective
• pseudoprosperously adverb
• quasi-prosperous adjective
• quasi-prosperously adverb
• superprosperous adjective
• unprosperous adjective
• unprosperously adverb
• unprosperousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prosperous¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prosperus

Example Sentences

Holness thanked voters for "this historic third term" and for their "trust, your faith and your belief in the vision of a stronger, safer, more prosperous Jamaica".

From BBC

Yet the system that made California dynamic and prosperous for so long is now broken and backward-looking.

From Los Angeles Times

But the digital divide separating the prosperous from the low-income was so vast that these efforts fell short.

From Los Angeles Times

A senior administration official downplayed consumer concerns, saying that the move will "benefit" Americans by making them "safer" and "prosperous".

From BBC

Some schools, such as Porter Ranch Elementary, in a prosperous northwest San Fernando Valley suburb, have had to manage overcrowding.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affluent 
• booming www.thesaurus.com
• comfortable 
• flourishing 
• fortunate 
• rich 
• robust 
• wealthy 
• well-heeled 
• well-off 
• well-to-do 

When To Use

What does prosperous mean?

Prosperous means successful, especially in a financial or material way.It can be used to describe people, groups, or institutions like businesses.The word is typically used to describe people who have achieved success in terms of wealth, health, and happiness. But it can also be used broadly, much like the words successful, thriving, and flourishing.Prosperous is based on the verb prosper, which means to be successful. You can say that someone is prospering in the present, but the word is perhaps most commonly used in the context of what will happen in the future. The word prospering can be used as an adjective to mean the same thing as prosperous. The related noun prosperity refers to a state of success.Example: If we can continue to maintain this level of quality, our company will continue to be prosperous.