Affluent
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /ˈæf.lu.ənt/
- US enPR: ăfʹlu-ənt, IPA: /ˈæf.lu.ənt/
Origin
Middle French affluent, from Latin affluentem, accusative singular of affluēns, present active participle of affluŠ("flow to or towards; overflow with"), from ad ("to, towards") + fluŠ("flow") (cognate via latter to fluid, flow). Sense of “wealthy†(plentiful flow of goods) c. 1600, which also lead to nominalization affluence.
Online Etymology Dictionary
Only relation to antonym indigent is common Latinate suffix + -ent.
Full definition of affluent
Noun
affluent
(plural affluents)- Somebody who is wealthy.
- 1994, Philip D. Cooper, Health care marketing: a foundation for managed quality (page 183)The affluents are most similar to the professional want-it-alls in their reasons for preferring specific hospitals and in their demographic characteristics.
- A stream or river flowing into a larger river or into a lake; a tributary stream; a tributary.
Synonyms
Adjective
affluent
- Abundant; copious; plenteous.
- H. Reedlanguage...affluent in expression
- (by extension) Abounding in goods or riches; materially wealthy.
- 2013, Michael Sivak, Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?, Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.
- (dated) Tributary.
- (obsolete) Flowing to; flowing abundantly.
- Harveyaffluent blood