# wealthy

/ˈwɛɫθi/ (US) · /wˈɛlθi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wealthy
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. having a lot of money

adjective · CEFR B1

having a lot of money, land, or expensive possessions.

For teachers: possessing a large amount of money, property, or other valuable assets.

- He became a wealthy businessman after his software company was sold.
- The wealthy investors gathered to discuss the new infrastructure project, confident that their capital would yield significant long-term returns.

Usage: Often used to describe a person's long-term status rather than just having cash on hand.

### 2. abundant or rich in quality

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

having a large amount of something good or useful.

For teachers: characterized by abundance or profusion in quality or quantity.

- The region is wealthy in natural resources like oil and minerals.
- The novel provides a wealthy description of life in the nineteenth century, capturing every detail of the social hierarchy.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'in'.

### 3. rich people as a group

noun · CEFR B2

people who have a lot of money, when talked about as a group.

For teachers: referring to affluent people collectively as a social class.

- The government is considering new taxes that would only affect the wealthy.
- Sociologists often study how the wealthy maintain their influence across generations through private education and exclusive social networks.

Usage: Used with 'the' to function as a plural noun.

## Examples

- He comes from a wealthy family in the city.
- The government is introducing new taxes that specifically target wealthy property owners to fund public schools.
- While the nation is statistically wealthy, the uneven distribution of resources means that many citizens still struggle to access basic healthcare services.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.