Rich and successful.
Prosperous is an adjective that refers to a flourishing of success leading to favourable circumstances, especially with regard to economic well-being. The noun variation of the state of being prosperous is prosperity, a state of auspicious and vigorous growth, while the verb to prosper means to be financially successful or to prevail in material terms.
Etymologically, the word prosperous is derived from the Latin ‘prosperare’ which means “to succeed, to render happy”. To be prosperous is to be characterised by success and fortune. Economists have often attempted to measure the prosperity of different countries based on figures of affluence according to GDP and other fiscal factors. One antonym for prosperity is pervasive in the political and economic lexicon at the moment: austerity. This term refers to a set of imposed economic policies involving cuts and limitations enforced to remedy a failing economy.
In popular culture, the phrase “Live long and prosper” is arguably the most widely used idiom that includes a variation of the term prosperous. This expression originated in Star Trek through the character of Mr. Spock and was used as a greeting of the Vulcan people. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the line “Live and be prosperous: and farewell good fellow” is said to Balthasar by Romeo, a possible source of inspiration for the Vulcan greeting invented by Leonard Nimoy.
prosperous
rich and successful
With economic expansion comes the promise of a more prosperous future.
The town is increasingly prosperous.
