asset

American  

[as-et] / ˈæs ɛt /

noun

1. a useful and desirable thing or quality.

   Organizational ability is an asset.

2. a single item of ownership having exchange value.

   Our summer home is an asset we're not willing to sell.

3. Digital Technology. one of the media components that, taken together, comprise all of the elements of a video game, such as the environments, objects, character art and animation, and sound design.

   All of the game assets are downloaded to your hard drive during the install, so slow load times are local and indicate a problem with your drive.

4. (in intelligence and information gathering) a person followed or spied upon to obtain information, who may be consenting, forced, or unaware of being used.

   They threatened to release a catalog of virtually every CIA asset within the Soviet Union.

5. Military. a physical resource, such as a piece of equipment, vehicle, or building.

6. assets. assets.

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asset British  

/ ˈæsɛt /

noun

1. anything valuable or useful See also assets

   experience is their main asset

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asset Cultural  

1. A possession that can be turned into cash to cover liabilities.

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Discover More

Commonly, the term denotes anything of value.

Other Word Forms

• assetless adjective

Etymology

Origin of asset

First recorded in 1525–35; back formation from assets, in phrase have assets, literally, “have enough (to pay obligations),” from Anglo-French, Old French asez “enough,” from unattested Vulgar Latin ad satis “to sufficiency”; assai ¹

Example Sentences

If tokenized equities scale, this kind of control over both the rails and the asset layer may prove decisive.

From MarketWatch

It’s planning to return 30% of the net asset value of the frozen fund in the first quarter.

From MarketWatch

"This is about constitutional accountability... any undeclared asset or unexplained wealth is a grave issue," said La Union Representative Paolo Ortega, one of two lawmakers to endorse the complaint.

From Barron's

On the flip side, asset recycling shows that management is continually evaluating the portfolio and seeking better returns.

From Barron's

But the dollar is becoming less popular for savings, for trade, and as the ultimate safe asset.

From Barron's

Related Words

• aid
• benefit
• credit
• resource
• service