prosper

Prosper is a verb meaning to be successful or fortunate, to thrive or flourish, especially in material, financial, or social terms, though it can also refer to overall well-being. It can describe individuals, businesses, communities, or nations that experience growth, favorable conditions, or rising fortunes. The related noun prosperity denotes the condition of being prosperous and is used to discuss long-term well-being and economic health.

Etymology traces prosperity to Middle English prosperen, from Old French prosperer, which in turn comes from Latin prosperare, based on prosperus meaning favorable or prosperous. The word has retained a broad, general sense of favorable outcomes and is commonly combined with qualifiers such as financially prosper, prospering, or prosperous to specify the domain of success.

Usage and context: In religious or moral discourse, to prosper can imply flourishing under providence or virtue. In secular policy and economics, discussions of prosperity focus on sustained improvements in income, employment, health, education, and access to resources. The term is often used in wishful or aspirational phrases, such as wishing someone that they may prosper.

See also: prosperity, prosperous. The concept appears across literature, economics, and theology, and is frequently contrasted with stagnation, decline, or hardship.