different between wealthy vs wealth

English

Etymology

From Middle English welthy, welþi, equivalent to wealth +? -y. Cognate with Middle Dutch weldech, weeldech (“magnificent, luscious, lavish”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?w?l.?i/
• Rhymes: -?l?i

Adjective

wealthy (comparative wealthier or more wealthy, superlative wealthiest or most wealthy)

1. Possessing financial wealth; rich.
2. Abundant in quality or quantity; profuse.

Synonyms

• affluent, prosperous
• See also Thesaurus:wealthy

Antonyms

• See also Thesaurus:impoverished

Derived terms

• independently wealthy

Translations

See also

• upscale

Noun

wealthy (plural wealthies)

1. A rich person.

Related terms

• wealth
• wealthily
• wealthiness

Anagrams

• Whatley

English

Alternative forms

• wealthe, welth, welthe (all obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English welth, welthe, weolthe (“happiness, prosperity”), from Old English *welþ, weleþu, from Proto-West Germanic *waliþu (“wealth”).

Alternatively, possibly an 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 *walô (“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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /w?l?/, [w?l??]
• Rhymes: -?l?

Noun

wealth (usually uncountable, plural wealths)

1. (economics) Riches; a great amount of valuable assets or material possessions.
2. A great amount; an abundance or plenty.
3. (obsolete) Prosperity; well-being; happiness.
   • c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act V scene i^[2]:

     I once did lend my body for his wealth, / Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, / Had quite miscarried: […]

   • Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:wealth

Derived terms

Translations

References

• wealth at OneLook Dictionary Search
• wealth in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• "wealth" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 331.
• wealth in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• wealth in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.