Prosper Means Things Going According to Hope
To prosper is to succeed and thrive. The Latin phrase behind it means in accordance with hope.
To prosper is to do well, especially financially. The Latin *prosperus* is usually explained as *pro spere*, according to hope — prospering is life turning out the way you hoped. The word carries no sense of luck; it suggests steady flourishing.
- To succeed and thrive. *The business prospered.*
- To grow strong. *Plants prosper in this soil.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | prosper | They prospered. |
| Past | prospered | The town prospered. |
| Noun | prosperity | Shared prosperity. |
| Adjective | prosperous | A prosperous city. |
| Adverb | prosperously | Trading prosperously. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The port prospered on the wool trade.Historical.
- A prosperous decade followed.Adjective.
- Prosperity is not evenly shared.Economics.
Words for doing well
- Prosper — succeed steadily, especially materially
- Thrive — grow vigorously, of people, plants or businesses
- Flourish — thrive visibly and at its best
- Boom — grow very fast, often briefly
- Prosperity — the state of prospering
From Latin *prosperare*, to make happy or successful, from *prosperus*, favourable, traditionally explained as *pro spere*, according to hope.
Prosper or thrive?
Prosper leans towards material success. Thrive is broader and includes health and growth of any kind.
Is prosperity only about money?
Usually, though it is increasingly used more widely, as in measures that combine income with health, education and environment.