affluent

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French affluent, borrowed in turn from Latin affluentem, accusative singular of affluēns, present active participle of affluō (“flow to or towards; overflow with”), from ad (“to, towards”) + fluō (“flow”) (cognate via latter to fluid, flow). Sense of “wealthy” (plentiful flow of goods) c. 1600, which also led to nominalization affluence.

noun

1. Somebody who is wealthy.
   The affluents are most similar to the professional want-it-alls in their reasons for preferring specific hospitals and in their demographic characteristics. 1994, Philip D. Cooper, Health care marketing: a foundation for managed quality, page 183
2. A stream or river flowing into a larger river or into a lake; a tributary stream; a tributary.

adj

1. Abundant; copious; plenteous.
   The shores are affluent in beauty, and incomparably lovely is the drive to the heights of Castel-a-Mare. 1860, Mary Howitt, transl., Life in the Old World
2. (by extension) Abounding in goods or riches; having a moderate level of material wealth.
   They were affluent, but aspired to true wealth.
   Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand. 2013 September-October, Michael Sivak, “Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?”, in American Scientist
   The Upper East Side is an affluent neighborhood in New York City.
3. (dated) Tributary.
4. (obsolete) Flowing to; flowing abundantly.