affluent
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a lot of money and owning many expensive things.
adj.possessing a great deal of money; wealthy and enjoying a high standard of living.
Simple“The family moved to an affluent neighborhood with large houses and private schools.”
In context“The rise of the tech industry has transformed the once-modest suburb into one of the most affluent districts in the country.”
UsageTypically used to describe groups, areas, or lifestyles rather than just a single person's bank balance.
Teacher's tipWhile 'rich' can be blunt, 'affluent' is a more polite and formal way to describe wealth in a sociological or economic context.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a small river or stream that flows into a larger one.
n.a stream or river that flows into a larger body of water; a tributary.
Simple“The main river is fed by several small affluents coming from the mountains.”
In context“Hydrologists mapped the various affluents to determine the source of the chemical runoff entering the main lake.”
UsageUsed as a countable noun in geography and hydrology.
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in general conversation; students will mostly encounter it in academic geography texts.
“They then compared their findings with those from children who had lived affluent, nonworking lives in Delft.”
“Until he moves into an apartment in the affluent Gulshan area of Dhaka, Dooley is living at a hotel.”
Borrowed from Middle French affluent, borrowed in turn from Latin affluentem, accusative singular of affluēns, present active participle of affluō (“flow to or towards; overflow with”), from ad (“to, towards”) + fluō (“flow”) (cognate via latter to fluid, flow). Sense of “wealthy” (plentiful flow of goods) c. 1600, which also led to nominalization affluence.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.