affluent
Americanadjective
-
having an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods; prosperous; rich.
an affluent person.
-
abounding in anything; abundant.
- Synonyms:
- teeming
-
flowing freely.
an affluent fountain.
noun
-
a tributary stream.
-
an affluent person.
a luxurious resort appealing to young affluents.
adjective
-
rich; wealthy
-
abundant; copious
-
flowing freely
noun
Related Words
See rich.
Other Word Forms
- affluently adverb
- nonaffluent adjective
- subaffluent adjective
- subaffluently adverb
- superaffluent adjective
- superaffluently adverb
- unaffluent adjective
Etymology
Origin of affluent
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin affluent- (stem of affluēns “rich”; originally present participle of affluere ), equivalent to af- af- + flu- “flow” + -ent -ent
Explanation
You know you're driving through an affluent neighborhood when you see large houses, perfect landscaping, and expensive cars. Use affluent to describe wealthy people or areas. In Middle English, affluent meant "abundant, flowing," from Old French, from Latin affluēns, from affluere "to abound in," from the prefix ad- "to, at" plus fluere "to flow." The meaning of "abundant, flowing" is still seen in phrases such as "affluent prose." But mostly, when you use the word affluent, the thing understood to be flowing is cash.
Vocabulary lists containing affluent
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But affluent travelers aren’t having much trouble covering increasingly pricey fares — and airlines are banking on their business.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
Wolfenden added the problem was three or four times as bad in less affluent areas, highlighting east and south east London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham as particular problem areas for drive-offs.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
The modern affluent household isn’t sustained by a single worker but by two long, uninterrupted careers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Though the affluent enclave that’s located less than 14 miles north of L.A. had the education factor Farr was looking for, the mother of three was fearful it wouldn’t be fulfilling enough in other ways.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
A day later, on Sunday, it was the Under Fifteens’ turn for a big away game, against a Roswell Soccer Club team called the Santos, from an affluent suburb north of Atlanta.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
