the haves

plural noun

: people who have a lot of money and possessions : wealthy people

—usually used in the phrase the haves and the have-nots

the gap between the haves and the have-nots

Examples of the haves in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And given that homeownership is the ticket to wealth generation in America, that pessimism exacerbates the risk that the divide between the haves and have-nots will only grow. —

Matt Egan, CNN, 29 July 2024 Speaking of the haves and have-nots, NBC has set up a caste system where not all sports are created equal. —

John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024 But for Black and various other communities, this is a legacy, not a recent shift, visible in the medical, educational, and financial chasm between the haves and the have-nots. —

Essence, 1 Aug. 2024 Director John Patton Ford gives us a modern thriller that also works as an excoriation of the economic injustices that separate the haves from the have-nots in America. —

Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for the haves

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