millionaire
UK: ˌmɪljəˈneə(r) | US: ˌmɪljəˈner
n. a person whose wealth amounts to a million or more in currency units (e.g., dollars, pounds).
n. (figuratively) someone extremely wealthy or successful in a particular field.
millionaire = million<unit of one thousand thousand> + aire<noun suffix indicating a person associated with>
- million: From Old French million, from Italian milione, augmentative of mille<thousand> (Latin). Originally meant "a great thousand" (1,000 × 1,000).
- aire: A suffix borrowed from Old French -aire (Latin -arius), denoting "a person connected to or engaged in" (e.g., doctrinaire, solitaire).
Etymology Origin:
The word emerged in 18th-century French (millionnaire) to describe individuals amassing wealth equivalent to a million units of currency—a rare feat at the time. The suffix -aire systematically assigns identity (e.g., questionnaire: a list of questions; millionaire: a person linked to millions). The term reflects industrialization’s wealth expansion, where "million" shifted from abstract grandeur to measurable financial status.
The tech entrepreneur became a millionaire before turning 30.
She donated half her fortune, proving not all millionaires are greedy.
His autobiography details his rise from poverty to millionaire.
The city attracts millionaires seeking luxury real estate.
Many lottery winners struggle to adapt to life as sudden millionaires.