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wealth

n.
US //ˈwɛɫθ// UK //wˈɛlθ// wealth
  1. 1 money and assets (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a large amount of money, property, or valuable things that a person or country owns.

    the state of being rich; a great amount of valuable material possessions or financial assets.

    Example

    The family's wealth came from their successful shipping business over many years.

    Example

    Economists are concerned that the concentration of wealth in a small percentage of the population may lead to long-term social instability.

    Usage

    Uncountable in this sense.
  2. 2 a large amount of something (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a large amount of something useful or interesting.

    an abundance or profusion of something, often used with 'of'.

    Example

    The library offers a wealth of information for students doing research.

    Example

    The new encyclopedia provides a wealth of detail regarding the architectural history of the region, including rare photographs and blueprints.

    Usage

    Usually takes the preposition 'of'.
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  1. 3 well-being (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    a state of being healthy, happy, and successful.

    the state of prosperity or well-being of a person or community.

    Example

    The old prayers asked for the health and wealth of the king.

    Example

    In this historical context, the term refers not to financial gain but to the general wealth and commonweal of the citizenry.

    Usage

    Rarely used in modern speech except in fixed historical or religious contexts.
Origin

Inherited from Middle English welth, welthe (“happiness, prosperity”), from Old English welþ, welþu, 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 (abstract nominal suffix). 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.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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