Wealth

Pronunciation

• IPA: /wÉ›lθ/
• Rhymes: -É›lθ

Origin

From Middle English welth, welthe, weolthe ("happiness, prosperity"), alteration (due to similar words in -th: compare helth ("health"), derth ("dearth")) of wele ("wealth, well-being, weal"), from Old English wela ("wealth, prosperity"), from Proto-Germanic *welô ("well-being, prosperity"), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- ("good, best"), equivalent to weal + -th. Cognate with Dutch weelde ("wealth"), Low German weelde ("wealth"), Old High German welida, welitha ("wealth"). Related also to German Wohl ("welfare, well-being, weal"), Danish vel ("weal, welfare"), Swedish väl ("well-being, weal"). More at weal, well.

Full definition of wealth

Noun

1. (obsolete) Weal; welfare; prosperity; good; well-being; happiness; joy.
2. Riches; valuable material possessions.
3. A great amount; an abundance or plenty.She brings a wealth of knowledge to the project.
4. Power, of the kind associated with a great deal of money.

Synonyms

Derived terms

• wealthy