Affluence

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæf.lu.əns/

Definitions

1. The state of having significant financial resources and possessions indicates economic well-being
2. A condition marked by an abundance of wealth and material goods signifies high economic status
3. A condition characterized by a substantial amount of wealth and luxury items reflects a high level of economic prosperity

Etymology: Latin "affluentia" meant simply a flowing toward, from "affluere," to flow to or flow toward, built from "ad" ("to") and "fluere" ("to flow"). Its original sense was abundance or plenty in the sense of things pouring in, a meaning that carried into Old French as "affluence" before English took it on. Words for flowing water and rivers sit close to it, which is why the picture of resources streaming toward someone is never far away. The most surprising twist is what the word did not mean for most of its life. Its ancient sense was never a reference to a person's bank balance. Wealth only became its main association in the 16th century, when English and French both began using it to describe a person who had great riches. The Latin word it descends from had no such sense, and its Latin opposite, "indigentia," meant poverty or lack, so the pairing of affluence and indigence in modern English reflects a later development rather than an ancient contrast.

Synonyms: wealth, richness

Antonyms: poverty, destitution