capital goods

American  

plural noun

Economics.

1. machines and tools used in the production of other goods (contrasted with consumer goods).

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capital goods British  

plural noun

1. Also called: producer goods. economics goods that are themselves utilized in the production of other goods rather than being sold to consumers Compare consumer goods

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capital goods Cultural  

1. Goods used in the production of commodities; producers' goods. (Compare consumer goods.)

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Etymology

Origin of capital goods

First recorded in 1895–1900

Compare meaning

How does capital-goods compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• consumer vs. capital goods

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capital goods

Here, Allspring places energy, utilities, basic industries, telecommunications, communications and capital goods.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

China is shifting from producing cheap consumer goods to exporting higher-value intermediate and capital goods that underpin global manufacturing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

But exports of intermediate inputs and capital goods increased by more than $175 billion from the year prior, helping push China’s trade surplus to a record $1.2 trillion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Nondefense capital goods orders ex-aircraft, or core goods orders, have continued to strengthen in Q2.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

The predominance of investment in heavy industry reflected the leadership's basic economic policy tenet that, with minor temporary exceptions, the production of capital goods must develop more rapidly than the output of consumer goods.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Violeta D. Baluyut