Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Possessing or exhibiting great wealth; affluent.
  • adjective Characterized by extravagance or rich abundance; lavish or luxuriant.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Wealthy; rich; affluent; having large means.
  • Unstinted; plentiful; abundant; profuse.
  • Blooming; brilliant; splendid.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having a large estate or property; wealthy; rich; affluent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective luxuriant, and ostentatiously magnificent
  • adjective rich, sumptuous and extravagant

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective rich and superior in quality

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin opulentus; see op- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • However, Mr Dominguez says that by showing what he describes as the opulent lifestyles the Castros live in a communist country like Cuba he has achieved his aim.

    BBC News | News Front Page | World Edition 2009

  • Of Oaxaca's twenty-seven churches, by far the most opulent is the Santo Domingo de Guzmán, built by Indian artisans in the 16th and 17th centuries and displaying much gold leaf.

    Oaxaca: a festive city 1997

  • Of Oaxaca's twenty-seven churches, by far the most opulent is the Santo Domingo de Guzmán, built by Indian artisans in the 16th and 17th centuries and displaying much gold leaf.

    Oaxaca: a festive city 1997

  • Spacek’s clueless, baton-twirling Holly proclaims love for Sheen’s Kit and all his fake bravado in opulent romance-novel voiceovers.

    Eric’s Top 10 Alienated Youth Movies » Scene-Stealers 2008

  • We disregarded these gathering clouds – and pretended that a period we retrospectively dub opulent and irresponsible was normal – when we might at least have been enjoying their silver linings.

    Whelk ice cream never meant we stopped being a Pot Noodle nation 2010

  • It's bow was adorned by a woman's figure crafted by San Francisco sculpture Monica Maduro and it's inside was described as opulent, with gilded frames and velvet trim.

    Merced Sun-Star: front 2009

  • This will not be determined by the home's value, but rather by subjective criteria such as opulent decorations.

    Taipei's Politics of Envy 2011

  • I also think it's fair to say most USians have never seen an "opulent" hospital!

    will they get fooled again? striking back at harry and louise 2009

  • Clinton thinks it is very important to raise taxes on the obscenely opulent, meaning families earning more than $200,000 (about 850,000 or .6 percent of the 115 million taxpayers).

    Purring Along The Potomac 2008

  • Opus X, Opus being a derivative from "opulent," the word "opulent," X is their Project X.

    CNN Transcript Jun 15, 2002 2002

Comments

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  • When, sick of all the sorrow and distress

    That flourished in the City like foul weeds,

    I sought blue rivers and green, opulent meads,

    And leagues of unregarded loneliness

    Whereon no foot of man had seemed to press,

    I did not know how great had been my needs,

    How wise the woodland's gospels and her creeds,

    How good her faith to one long comfortless.

    - Charles Hanson Towne, 'The City'.

    October 4, 2008

  • Beautiful quotation Bilby.

    October 4, 2008

  • Also I read this word in Blood Promise by Richelle Mead, "The room I woke up in was opulent."

    October 1, 2010