prosperous

From Middle French prospereus, from Old French prosperer, from Latin prosperō (“I cause to succeed”), from Old Latin pro spere (“according to expectation”), from pro (“for”) + spes (“hope”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɑs.pə.ɹəs/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɒs.p(ə.)ɹəs/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɒspəɹəs, -ɒspɹəs
• Hyphenation: pros‧per‧ous, pros‧perous

prosperous (comparative more prosperous, superlative most prosperous)

1. Characterized by success.

   Trading Babe Ruth was far more prosperous for the Yankees than for the Red Sox.

2. Well off; affluent.

   He was raised in a very prosperous household.

   • 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Eternal City”, in Catch-22 , New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 428:

     He wondered how many people were destitute that same night even in his own prosperous country, how many homes were shanties, how many husbands were drunk and wives socked, and how many children were bullied, abused or abandoned.

3. Favorable.

   He chose a prosperous lottery number that evening.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto IX:

     So draw him home to those that mourn
     ⁠In vain; a favourable speed
     ⁠Ruffle thy mirror’d mast, and lead
     Thro’ prosperous floods his holy urn.

• (characterized by success): successful; see also Thesaurus:prosperous
• (well off): affluent, rich, well off, well-to-do, wealthy; see also Thesaurus:wealthy
• (favorable): favorable, lucky; see also Thesaurus:auspicious

• prosperously
• prosperousness
• prosperity

• prosper

• oppressour