Other forms: prospered, prospering, prospers
To prosper is to grow successful and wealthy. The business prospered, prosper under him, live long and prosper.
It suggests steady growth over time rather than a sudden gain, and it applies to businesses, families and towns. Live long and prosper is now inseparable from Star Trek, though it is a much older formula. Note prosperity, prosperous; and that the Latin behind it may mean according to hope, which makes prospering the state of things going as you wished.
1verbprosperTo grow successful and wealthy.
“The fishing village prospered when tourists began to arrive each summer.”
prosper is a thriving.
Also accepted in games: thrive, flourish
Latin prosperare comes from prosperus, favourable, possibly from pro spere, according to hope. To prosper is for things to go as hoped.
Proto-Indo-European
*speh₁- — to succeed
Proto-Italic
*prosparos
Latin
prosperō — to render happy
Old French
prosperer
English, today
prosper
Built from
From Old French prosperer, from Latin prosperō (“to render happy”), from prosperus (“prosperous”), from Proto-Italic prosparos, from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- (“to succeed”), whence also spēs (“hope, expectation”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA