prosperous

adjective

pros·​per·​ous ˈprä-sp(ə-)rəs 

1

: auspicious, favorable

2

a

: marked by success or economic well-being

b

: enjoying vigorous and healthy growth : flourishing

prosperously adverb

prosperousness noun

Synonyms

• booming
• boomy
• flourishing
• golden
• halcyon
• healthy
• lush
• palmy
• prospering
• roaring
• successful
• thriving

Examples of prosperous in a Sentence

The company had a prosperous year.

He predicted a prosperous future.

Recent Examples on the Web

The big picture: That's what IMF leadership believes the world's nations need to accomplish over the coming years to ensure a prosperous future. —Courtenay Brown, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024

Ultimately, digital twins have the potential to help create a more sustainable, efficient and prosperous future for manufacturing and our planet. —Raghunandan Gurumurthy, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

These honors reflect our continued commitment to fiscal integrity and transparency, ensuring a prosperous future for Saratoga. —Yan Zhao, The Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2024

Extreme heat, storms and coastal flooding will weigh heavily on the bottom third of this country, making the environment less comfortable and life within it more expensive and less prosperous. —Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin prosperus "agreeable to one's wishes, successful, (of omens) propitious" (going back to *pro-sparo-, from pro- pro- entry 2 + *sparo-, going back to Indo-European *sph₁-ró- "thriving") + -ous -ous — more at speed entry 1

Note: An apparently traditional explanation is recorded by the fourth/fifth century grammarian Nonius Marcellus, namely, that prosperus was in origin from the phrase prō spērē "in conformity with one's hope" (spērē being taken as a variant of spē, ablative of spēs "hope"), though this may best be regarded as a folk etymology. It fails to account for the short e in prosperus.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

prosperous

adjective

pros·​per·​ous ˈpräs-p(ə-)rəs 

1

: having or showing success or financial good fortune

2

: strong and healthy in growth

prosperously adverb