riches
riches Lexical Profile
riches Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Material wealth, abundant money, or valuable possessions.
"The ancient merchants accumulated vast riches by trading silk and spices across the continent."
Valuable intangible resources, qualities, or abundant natural features.
"The coastal region is celebrated for its cultural riches and diverse marine ecosystems."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although originally singular in Middle English, 'riches' is now strictly a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum) and always takes a plural verb (e.g., 'Great riches were discovered in the tomb').
• Rhymes for riches
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into Middle English as 'richesse' from Old French 'richece' (wealth), ultimately of Germanic origin and akin to Old English 'rice' (strong, powerful). Because the singular ending '-esse' sounded identical to the English plural suffix '-es', speakers reanalyzed the word as a plural noun by the 14th century.