Wealth vs. Fortune — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 19, 2023
"Wealth" refers to the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions, while "Fortune" can mean a large amount of money or the forces that determine events.
Difference Between Wealth and Fortune
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Wealth" is a broad term that denotes the accumulation of valuable resources, assets, or material possessions that someone might possess. It can encompass money, real estate, investments, and other tangible and intangible items of value. "Fortune," on the other hand, often specifically signifies a large sum of money or riches. It can also imply luck or fate in determining the course of events.
One can inherit or earn "wealth" over time, suggesting a steady buildup or acquisition of assets. "Fortune," in its financial context, generally implies a sizable amount of money, often acquired rapidly or unexpectedly, such as winning a lottery or receiving a significant inheritance.
Additionally, the term "wealth" often carries connotations of affluence and is used to describe the state of being rich in a more general sense. "Fortune" can double as a term referencing destiny or fate, indicating the unpredictable forces that might shape one's life or circumstances.
The distribution of "wealth" is a topic of socio-economic discussions, touching upon aspects like inequality, accumulation, and dissemination of resources. In contrast, the phrase "to tell one's fortune" pertains to predicting one's future, showcasing the term's versatility outside of monetary contexts.
Concepts of "wealth" management involve strategies to grow, protect, and utilize one's assets effectively. Meanwhile, "fortune" in sayings like "fortune favors the brave" emphasizes chance or luck, indicating that bravery or action might lead to favorable outcomes.
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Comparison Chart
Main Definition
Abundance of valuable resources or possessions.
A large amount of money or fate's forces.
Acquisition
Can be earned or accumulated over time.
Often implies rapid or unexpected acquisition.
Connotations
General richness or affluence.
Sizeable riches or destiny/luck.
Broader Usage
Can relate to socio-economic discussions about distribution.
Can relate to predictions about one's future.
Common Phrases
"Wealth management," "distribution of wealth."
"Fortune teller," "fortune favors the brave."
Compare with Definitions
Wealth
An abundance of valuable resources or goods.
The oil tycoon's wealth was evident in his lavish lifestyle.
Fortune
A large amount of money or assets.
He made a fortune in the stock market.
Wealth
A plentiful amount of a particular desirable thing.
The land was of immense agricultural wealth.
Fortune
Good luck or a favorable outcome.
To his great fortune, the weather was perfect on the day of the event.
Wealth
The state of being rich or affluent.
The pursuit of wealth often consumes people.
Fortune
The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; luck
He decided to travel, and his fortune turned for the worse.
Wealth
Prosperity and well-being.
The nation's health and wealth improved over the years.
Fortune
Fortunes The turns of luck in the course of one's life.
Wealth
All goods and resources having value in terms of exchange or use.
The total wealth of the country includes its natural resources.
Fortune
Success, especially when at least partially resulting from luck
No matter what they tried, it ended in fortune.
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating old English word weal, which is from an Indo-European word stem.
Fortune
A person's condition or standing in life determined by material possessions or financial wealth
She pursued her fortune in Rome.
Wealth
An abundance of valuable material possessions or resources; riches
Gave his wealth away to charity.
Fortune
Extensive amounts of material possessions or money; wealth.
Wealth
The state of being rich; affluence
A community of great wealth.
Fortune
A large sum of money
Spent a fortune on the new car.
Wealth
Goods and resources having value in terms of exchange or use
The agricultural wealth of the region.
Fortune
Often Fortune A hypothetical, often personified force or power that favorably or unfavorably governs the events of one's life
We believe that Fortune is on our side.
Wealth
A great amount; a profusion
A wealth of advice.
Fortune
Fate; destiny
Told my fortune with tarot cards.
Wealth
Riches; a great amount of valuable assets or material possessions.
Fortune
A foretelling of one's destiny.
Wealth
(countable) A great amount; an abundance or plenty.
She brings a wealth of knowledge to the project.
Fortune
(Archaic) To endow with wealth.
Wealth
Prosperity; well-being; happiness.
Fortune
(Obsolete) To ascribe or give good or bad fortune to.
Wealth
Weal; welfare; prosperity; good.
Fortune
To occur by chance; happen.
Wealth
Large possessions; a comparative abundance of things which are objects of human desire; esp., abundance of worldly estate; affluence; opulence; riches.
I have little wealth to lose.
Each day new wealth, without their care, provides.
Wealth comprises all articles of value and nothing else.
Fortune
Destiny, especially favorable.
She read my fortune. Apparently I will have a good love life this week, but I will have a bad week for money.
Wealth
In the private sense, all pooperty which has a money value.
Fortune
A prediction or set of predictions about a person's future provided by a fortune teller.
Wealth
The state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money;
Great wealth is not a sign of great intelligence
Fortune
A small slip of paper with wise or vaguely prophetic words printed on it, baked into a fortune cookie.
Wealth
The quality of profuse abundance;
She has a wealth of talent
Fortune
The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident.
Wealth
An abundance of material possessions and resources
Fortune
Good luck.
Fortune favors the brave.
Wealth
Property that has economic utility: a monetary value or an exchange value
Fortune
One's wealth; the amount of money one has, especially if it is vast.
He's amassed a small fortune working in the Middle East.
My vast fortune was a result of inheritance and stock market nous.
Her fortune is estimated at 3 million dollars.
Fortune
A large amount of money.
That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?
Fortune
(transitive)
Fortune
To provide (someone) with a fortune.
Fortune
To tell the fortune of (someone); to presage.
Fortune
To happen, to take place.
Fortune
The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident; luck; hap; also, the personified or deified power regarded as determining human success, apportioning happiness and unhappiness, and distributing arbitrarily or fortuitously the lots of life.
'T is more by fortune, lady, than by merit.
O Fortune, Fortune, all men call thee fickle.
Fortune
That which befalls or is to befall one; lot in life, or event in any particular undertaking; fate; destiny; as, to tell one's fortune.
You, who men's fortunes in their faces read.
Fortune
That which comes as the result of an undertaking or of a course of action; good or ill success; especially, favorable issue; happy event; success; prosperity as reached partly by chance and partly by effort.
Our equal crimes shall equal fortune give.
There is a tide in the affairs of men,Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
His father dying, he was driven to seek his fortune.
Fortune
Wealth; large possessions; large estate; riches; as, a gentleman of fortune.
Fortune
To make fortunate; to give either good or bad fortune to.
Fortune
To provide with a fortune.
Fortune
To presage; to tell the fortune of.
Fortune
To fall out; to happen.
It fortuned the same night that a Christian, serving a Turk in the camp, secretely gave the watchmen warning.
Fortune
An unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another;
Bad luck caused his downfall
We ran into each other by pure chance
Fortune
A large amount of wealth or prosperity
Fortune
An unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome;
It was my good luck to be there
They say luck is a lady
It was as if fortune guided his hand
Fortune
Your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you);
Whatever my fortune may be
Deserved a better fate
Has a happy lot
The luck of the Irish
A victim of circumstances
Success that was her portion
Fortune
Chance or luck as a force in shaping events.
Fortune smiled upon him that day.
Fortune
Destiny or fate.
It was his fortune to live during peaceful times.
Fortune
Circumstances or standing in life.
She came from a modest fortune but worked her way up.
Common Curiosities
Does "fortune" always indicate sudden wealth?
No, while it can imply rapid acquisition, it also has meanings related to fate or luck.
Can a person be "fortunate" without having a lot of money?
Yes, "fortunate" can also mean being lucky or having favorable circumstances, unrelated to wealth.
Can a person have wealth without having a fortune?
Yes, someone might have steady wealth over time without suddenly acquiring a large fortune.
Does "wealth" always refer to money?
No, wealth can also refer to other valuable resources or assets, not just money.
Is "fortune" always a positive term?
No, while it can indicate a large sum of money, it can also refer to one's fate, which may be positive or negative.
How is "wealth" typically accumulated?
Wealth can be accumulated through earnings, investments, inheritance, or other means.
Is a "fortune teller" someone who counts money?
No, a "fortune teller" predicts the future, unrelated to counting money.
Can "wealth" also refer to knowledge or other non-material things?
Yes, wealth can symbolize an abundance of non-material things, like knowledge or culture.
Can one's "fortune" change rapidly?
Yes, "fortune," especially when referring to luck or fate, can change quickly.
What does it mean to "seek one's fortune"?
It means to go out and try to find success or make one's way in the world.
Is "wealth distribution" the same as "sharing one's fortune"?
Not necessarily. "Wealth distribution" often refers to socio-economic policies, while "sharing one's fortune" is more personal.
Is the term "wealthy" synonymous with "fortunate"?
Not always. "Wealthy" generally means having a lot of money or assets, while "fortunate" can mean lucky or blessed.
How is "wealth" typically measured?
Wealth is often measured in terms of assets, resources, or net worth.
Can "fortune" refer to the future?
Yes, "fortune" can mean destiny or the course of future events.
Can "wealth" have cultural or relative meanings?
Yes, what constitutes wealth can vary by culture or individual perspectives.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
