riches
n.-
1 wealth and money (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea large amount of money and valuable possessions.
material wealth, money, or valuable possessions. Plural-only noun; does not have a singular form in this sense.
ExampleHe spent his life chasing riches but died with very few friends.
ExampleThe explorers returned from the expedition with stories of vast riches hidden deep within the mountain range.
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2 an abundance of something good (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea large amount of something very good or useful.
an abundance or profusion of anything desirable, such as natural resources or cultural heritage.
ExampleThe local library offers a wealth of riches for anyone who loves history.
ExampleThe coastal region is famous for its natural riches, including rare wildlife and pristine coral reefs.
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3 rich people (n.) C2 Proficiency Dialect Archaica way to refer to people who have a lot of money.
a collective reference to wealthy individuals. Nonstandard and rare in modern usage.
ExampleIn the old stories, the riches lived in big houses on the hill.
ExampleThe folk song tells of a time when the riches and the poor worked side by side in the fields.
UsageUsually preceded by 'the'.
- the wealthy
- the rich
- the poor
From Middle English riches, plural of riche (“power, wealth”), from Old English rīċe (“power, authority, dominion”). Confused with Middle English richesse (“wealth”), from Old French richesse, from riche (“rich, wealthy”), of Germanic origin, from Frankish rīki (“rich”) from Proto-Germanic rīkijaz (“rich, powerful”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct, make right”). Akin to Old High German rīhhi (“rich”) (German reich (“rich”)), Old English rīċe (“rich”), Old English racu (“explanation, reasoning”). More at rich.
From rich + -es (plural suffix) by analogy with poors (“poor people”).