affluent
/ˈæfluənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈæfluənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈa-(ˌ)flü-ənt also a-ˈflü- or ə-/ (ame, mw)
affluent — adjective
- affluentpositive
- more affluentcomparative
- most affluentsuperlative
1. An affluent person, family, or community has a great deal of wealth — enough to
An affluent person, family, or community has a great deal of wealth — enough to own expensive homes, cars, and other luxury items, and to enjoy a comfortable, high-quality lifestyle.
Theo grew up in an affluent neighborhood where every house had a swimming pool.
affluent neighborhood — describes a residential area with wealthy residents
The town became affluent after the technology company built its headquarters nearby.
Fatima's affluent family sent her to a private academy in Switzerland where students trained with Olympic coaches.
As the city grew more affluent, new restaurants and shops opened on every street.
Yuki's grandparents worked hard to build an affluent life for their children.
- wealthy
very similar meaning; 'wealthy' often emphasizes assets and property, while 'affluent' sounds slightly more formal
- prosperous
focuses on economic success and growth; often describes a region or economy
- well-off
informal; implies a comfortable but not extremely luxurious financial situation
- poor
the most direct opposite; lacking money and material possessions
- impoverished
formal; describes a person or area in severe poverty
- deprived
focuses on lacking basic necessities and opportunities
文法句型
affluent + noun
be/become affluent
用法筆記
More formal than 'rich'; often used to describe whole communities, areas, or social groups rather than individuals. The comparative form 'more affluent' and superlative 'most affluent' are common in journalism and academic writing.
常見錯誤
affluent — noun
1. Wealthy members of society considered as a group — people who can easily afford
Wealthy members of society considered as a group — people who can easily afford luxury housing, private education, fine dining, and high-quality services.
The Galleria in downtown Dallas was designed for the affluent, with luxury boutiques and a five-star hotel.
the affluent — collective noun for wealthy people
Japan's 2023 tax reform introduced new deductions that mainly benefited the affluent who owned multiple properties.
The scholarship program aimed to bring together students from both affluent and low-income backgrounds.
Critics argued that the park renovation mainly benefited the affluent who lived nearby.
- the rich
more common and less formal than 'the affluent'
- the wealthy
similar formality to 'affluent'; often used interchangeably
- the well-to-do
slightly old-fashioned; implies established, comfortable wealth
- the poor
direct opposite; those lacking money and resources
- the disadvantaged
formal; emphasizes lack of opportunities and access
文法句型
the affluent
the newly affluent
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural collective form 'the affluent' (without an '-s'), referring to wealthy people as a social category. Rarely used in the singular ('an affluent') in modern English.
常見錯誤
2. A smaller river or stream whose water flows into a larger river, rather than emp
A smaller river or stream whose water flows into a larger river, rather than emptying directly into a sea or lake — used mainly in geography and hydrology.
After the storm, rangers checked each affluent for debris before letting hikers cross the main river.
To assess flood risk, engineers monitored every affluent feeding the Danube for three days after the storm.
geography term: affluent as a synonym for tributary
Engineers measured the water flow of every affluent to predict possible flooding in the spring.
- tributary
the standard modern term for a stream flowing into a larger river
- feeder stream
informal term used in field ecology
- distributary
a branch that flows away from the main river, not into it
文法句型
an affluent
affluents (plural)
用法筆記
Rare in everyday modern English; 'tributary' is the much more common word for this concept. The geographical meaning is the original literal sense (from Latin 'to flow toward'), but readers today will almost always interpret 'affluent' as 'rich' instead.