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How do you refer to someone who has access to an abundance of resources?

Is there a synonym for rich that does not have the connotation of wealth? I am looking for something closer to 'has many resources' or 'has much content'. For example:

The FOSS community is rich enough that one need not pay for an office suite. One can choose from any of the free office suits available.

Another example:

My aunt (who receives welfare) has a house rich enough in tapestries that she does not need to buy tapestries.

The sentences provided are examples of the usage of the word 'rich' in the sense that I mean. There is no need to dispute FOSS office suites or whether we need one.

Thanks.

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    How would that be appropriate when you are talking about paying for something? Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 5:42
  • The implication is that one could acquire an office suite for free, without paying.
    – dotancohen
    Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 6:12
  • Thank you jwpat! I'm divided as to whether or not this is a dupe. If it is I'll happily mark it as such, let me go over that one a bit more. Thanks!
    – dotancohen
    Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 6:46
  • How does fruitful strike you?
    – Cameron
    Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 7:07
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    +1 for checking the thesaurus before posting. Question covers the same content as an earlier question: voting to close as duplicate.
    – MetaEd
    Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 20:16

2 Answers 2

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Out of all the synonym families for rich, the words that I think fit most closely to your purposes are the words under abundant:

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One word that I might recommend isn't listed there, though; I think the word replete might work. NOAD says:

replete (adj.): filled or well-supplied with something

Moreover, Collins defines replete as copiously supplied with. So, one might say:

My aunt's house is replete enough in tapestries that she does not need to buy any more.

or:

The FOSS community is replete with office space. As a matter of fact, you don't even need to rent an office, there’s an abundance of free office suites available.

If you want to use something informal, I think the synonym crawling with makes for some interesting language:

The FOSS community is crawling with office space.

NOAD says that crawling with means to be covered or crowded with insects or people, to an extent that is disgusting or objectionable, while Collins reads: to be or feel as if overrun by something unpleasant, esp crawling creatures. So, applying that phrase to a hypersufficiency of office space might be somewhat metaphoric, and the phrase crawling with might be more fitting if the overabundance of office space or tapestries was viewed as a bad thing. I might use those words in conversation, but I'd probably avoid it in more formal writing.

By the way, overabundant might be a good word, too; from Collins:

overabundance (n.): a supply or amount that is greater than required
overabundant (adj.): too abundant; excessive

So, one could say:

There is an overabundance of office space in the FOSS community, and my aunt's house is overabundant in tapestries. (That's why she never stops by the tapestry store on her way home from her freely-rented office space.)

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  • Thank you, "replete" seems the appropriate word. This is a terrific, detailed response!
    – dotancohen
    Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 11:29
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Rich is fine; or maybe use the common phrase rich and varied. If a thing is rich rather than a person, there is little possibility of any connotation of monetary wealth.

The problem is the word community. I think you are saying that there is so much free open-source software available that you should never have to buy something like Microsoft Office; but your sentence would make community mean that software rather than the people who write it.

The FOSS community's offering is so rich and varied that one need not pay for an office suite.

Now that the question has been clarified, note the use of so in that sentence, rather than enough. You want to emphasise abundance rather than mere sufficiency.

My aunt (who is on welfare) has a house so rich in tapestries that she does not need to buy any.

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  • The office suite was just an example, I have added an additional example. While informative, you are addressing the wrong part of the example sentence!
    – dotancohen
    Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 6:19
  • Thank you for pointing out the importance of so. I now see where that makes the distinction.
    – dotancohen
    Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 11:27

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