prosper

verb

pros·​per ˈprä-spər How to pronounce prosper (audio)
prospered; prospering ˈprä-sp(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce prosper (audio)
Synonyms of prospernext

intransitive verb

1
: to succeed in an enterprise or activity
especially : to achieve economic success
2
: to become strong and flourishing

transitive verb

: to cause to succeed or thrive

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of prosper in a Sentence

She prospered as a real estate agent. He hopes his business will prosper. No crop can prosper in this heat.
Recent Examples on the Web China says Tibet has prospered and modernized under Communist Party rule, pointing to the construction of highways, high-speed railways and other infrastructure and the promotion of tourism. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 19 June 2024 But during its heyday, Mechelen prospered in a lucrative cloth trade and enjoyed a rich cultural life in the arts and music. —Barbara Noe Kennedy, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2024 Airlines and airports also prospered as the region continued to rebound from COVID. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 17 June 2024 Without taking the right measures to allow companies to grow and prosper in the public markets, America could lose that edge. —Eric Hippeau, Fortune, 28 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for prosper 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prosper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prosperen, borrowed from Anglo-French prosperer "to promote, foster, be fortunate or successful," borrowed from Latin prosperāre "to cause to succeed, further" (Medieval Latin also, in passive, "to be granted success, succeed"), verbal derivative of prosperus "agreeable to one's wishes, successful, prosperous"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prosper was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near prosper

prospectus

prosper

prosperity

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Prosper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosper. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

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Kids Definition

prosper

verb
pros·​per ˈpräs-pər How to pronounce prosper (audio)
prospered; prospering -p(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce prosper (audio)
1
: to succeed or make money in something one is doing
2
: thrive sense 1, flourish
3
: to cause to become prosperous

More from Merriam-Webster on prosper

Nglish: Translation of prosper for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of prosper for Arabic Speakers

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