prospered

Prospered is the past tense and past participle of prosper, a verb that means to be successful or to flourish, especially economically or in general well-being. It can describe people, businesses, communities, or economies that have experienced improvement or growth. Common collocations include the economy, a business, a town, or a venture that prospered. For example, “The town prospered after the new market opened” or “The company prospered under new leadership.”

The word originates from Latin prosperus “favorable,” entering English via Old French prosperer. The modern verb prosper appeared in Middle English and has since retained senses related to flourishing, thriving, and successful outcomes. Its past tense form is prospered, and the corresponding adjective is prosperous; the noun is prosperity.

Prospered is typical of narrative, historical, religious, or formal writing. In contemporary business language, speakers may favor “grew,” “thrived,” or “succeeded,” but prospered remains correct and common in past-tense statements about achievements. It conveys completion of a period of growth and can imply sustained improvement rather than a one-off gain.

See also: prosperous, prosperity, prosper.