Wealthier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Possessing more substantial financial assets compared to others
2. Enjoying a higher level of economic resources in relation to peers
3. Having more financial means or assets than others in a similar category

Etymology: "Wealthier" is simply the comparative of "wealthy," so the real story lies in the older word it is built from. "Wealth" comes from Old English "wela," meaning well-being or prosperity, combined with the suffix "-th" that turns adjectives into nouns. The original sense was therefore broad: a person with wealth was someone who was doing well in general, not merely someone with a large bank balance. "Wealthy" arrived in Middle English as "welthy," formed by adding the adjective-making suffix "-y" to "wealth." Its earliest senses leaned toward well-being and happiness, and the connection to money grew over time. The Middle Dutch "weldech," meaning magnificent or lavish, is a close relative, which hints at the same family of ideas of plenty and flourishing. "Wealthier" then follows the regular pattern for adjectives of this length, adding "-er" to mark the comparison. Its meaning is the narrow modern one: having more money than someone or something else.

Synonyms: richer, more affluent, better off, prosperous, opulent

Antonyms: poorer, less affluent, impoverished, destitute, needy