prosper

verb

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

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 of prosper

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For buildings like Mount Gilead to be built and continue to prosper for over 100 years is a miraculous feat, Thompson said. — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2026 Over the course of the 19th century Bloomsburg grew and prospered, in large part because of its textile industry and the mining of iron ore. — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026 Separating the franchise entries that have lived long and prospered from those that are mere redshirts. — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 In the 19th century, railroads determined which cities prospered. — Ron Kitchens, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prosper

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

Browse Nearby Words

prospectus
prosper
prosperity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prosper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosper. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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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

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