wealth

Inherited from Middle English welth, welthe (“happiness, prosperity”), from Old English *welþ, weleþu, 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. Cognate with Dutch weelde (“wealth”), Low German weelde (“wealth”), Old High German welida, welitha (“wealth”). Related also to German Wohl (“welfare, well-being, weal”), Danish vel (“weal, welfare”), Swedish väl (“well-being, weal”). More at weal, well.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɛlθ/, [wɛl̪θ]

Audio (US)

Duration: 1 second.0:01

• Rhymes: -ɛlθ

Noun

wealth (countable and uncountable, plural wealths)

1. (uncountable, economics) Riches; a great amount of valuable assets or material possessions.
2. (countable) A great amount; an abundance or plenty. [ quotations ▼]

   She brings a wealth of knowledge to the project.

3. (uncountable, obsolete) Prosperity; well-being; happiness. [ quotations ▼]