Millionaire

Millionaire

Noun · /ˌmɪl.jəˈneər/

Definition

A person whose assets or wealth amount to at least one million pounds, dollars, or other monetary units; informally, a very wealthy person.

Origin

From French millionnaire, coined in the early 18th century from million (from Old French million, from Italian milione, from mille, thousand, + augmentative -one) + the suffix -aire (-ary). The word is first recorded in English around 1826. The concept of the millionaire as a distinct social category emerged with the wealth generated by early industrialisation and colonial trade.