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Added 9 October 2026

wealth

/wɛlθ/ noun

In Latin: ops, dīvitiae, locupletatio Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wealth at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Riches; a great amount of valuable assets or material possessions.
Money talks, but true wealth whispers.
A great amount; an abundance or plenty.
She brings a wealth of knowledge to the project.
Prosperity; well-being; happiness.

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 West Frisian wielde (“wealth”), Dutch weelde (“wealth”), Low German Weelde (“wealth”), Old High German welida, welitha (“wealth”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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