opulente

Opulente is an Italian adjective meaning opulent, lavish, or richly furnished. It describes things that convey abundance, wealth, and grandeur in appearance or quality. The term derives from Latin opulentus, related to ops, wealth, and shares roots with cognates in other Romance languages, such as French opulent and Spanish opulento. In Italian, the most common forms are opulento (masculine) and opulenta (feminine); opulente is encountered chiefly in literary or formal contexts and tends to appear in extended descriptions or stylistic prose. The noun form is opulenza, meaning opulence or luxuriousness.

In usage, opulente signals splendor and richness that exceed simple adequacy and may carry a note of ostentation. It is somewhat more elevated or colorful than synonyms such as suntuoso or lussuoso, and is typical of literary criticism, high-register journalism, and descriptive prose. In everyday speech, many speakers opt for opulento/opulenta or other terms.

Examples in Italian: una decorazione opulente; uno stile opulente; in English, one would render these concepts with lavish or opulent rather than the exact Italian form. See also opulenza (opulence); related adjectives suntuoso, sontuoso, lussuoso.