affluent

1 of 2

adjective

af·​flu·​ent ˈa-(ˌ)flü-ənt 

 also  a-ˈflü-,

 or  ə-

1

: having an abundance of goods or riches : wealthy

affluent families

our affluent society

2

: flowing in abundance

affluent streams

affluent creativity

affluently adverb

affluent

2 of 2

noun

1

: a tributary stream

… its meandering stream, one of the smaller affluents of the Sacramento.

—John Muir

2

[derivative of affluent entry 1] : a wealthy or affluent person

The affluents exhibit far less demographic diversity than is exhibited in any of the lower-income segments of the population.

—Pamela N. Danzinger

Did you know?

Visualize with us: coffers overflowing, a cash flow more than adequate, assets that are fluid, an elderly duck in a top hat diving into a pool of gold coins. The images conjured reflect the essence of the word affluent. Based on the Latin verb fluere, meaning "to flow," affluent is all about flow. (The same image is echoed in other fluere descendants, such as confluence, fluctuate, fluid, influence, mellifluous, and superfluous.) The flowing of goods or riches wasn't the word's first concern, however; 16th century print examples of affluent tend to be about the abundance of such intangibles as "goodness" and "spirit." In the 17th century, the flow suggested by affluent varied greatly: streams, poisons, estates, and blood were all described with the word. In modern use, affluent most often describes wealthy people (or ducks), or places where wealthy people live.

Synonyms

Adjective

• deep-pocketed
• fat
• fat-cat
• flush
• loaded
• moneyed
• monied
• opulent
• rich
• silk-stocking
• wealthy
• well-endowed
• well-fixed
• well-heeled
• well-off
• well-to-do

Noun

• bayou
• branch
• confluent
• feeder
• influent
• tributary

Choose the Right Synonym for affluent

rich, wealthy, affluent, opulent mean having goods, property, and money in abundance.

rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

Examples of affluent in a Sentence

Adjective

The store catered to a mostly affluent clientele that was relatively price insensitive, so we could afford to pay our suppliers a premium for the very best fish. The shop also developed a significant wholesale business, and soon the great and the good of London gastronomy were flocking to our door. —Frances Percival, Saveur, March 2008

A recent crop of books and articles give voice to this complaint. They happen to be written by journalists who are also well-educated and affluent mothers, but when it comes to parental discontent they are not alone. —Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, Commonweal, 16 June 2006

The Bay Area, which encompasses the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, as well as surrounding areas, is one of the nation's most affluent regions: More than 40% of the area's residents have annual household income of at least $75,000, versus only 25% in the country's other top 50 markets, according to Scarborough Research. —Eileen Davis Hudson et al., Editor & Publisher, 1 Oct. 2001

His family was more affluent than most.

he is affluent and can afford to send his children to the best schools

Noun

the Nipigon and the St. Louis rivers are affluents of Lake Superior

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Pam Danziger covers retail with an emphasis on luxury brands and affluent consumers. —Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Donald Trump could stop that While Newsom’s administration has cracked down on other affluent communities that resist quotas — it’s been especially aggressive with conservative Huntington Beach — liberal Marin County has historically received the kid gloves treatment. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024

Noun

The author also notes that the illusion of easy prosperity promotes a cycle of self-blame among the poor, benefiting the affluent who are not obligated to assist their less fortunate neighbors. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

The current credit card system essentially functions as a private tax collection mechanism, extracting billions from the real economy to fund rewards programs that primarily benefit the affluent. —Justin Grooms, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, "flowing in abundance, copious," borrowed from Latin affluent-, affluens "flowing with, abundant," present participle of affluere "to flow in, come streaming along, be abundantly present," from ad- ad- + fluere "to flow, run" — more at fluid entry 1

Noun

borrowed from French, borrowed from Latin affluent-, affluens "flowing in" — more at affluent entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

affluent

adjective

af·​flu·​ent

ˈaf-ˌlü-ənt,

 also  a-ˈflü-,

ə-ˈflü-

: having plenty of money and the things money can buy

affluently adverb

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English affluent "abundant," derived from Latin ad- "to" and fluere "to flow" — related to fluid