intangible

American  

[in-tan-juh-buhl] / ɪnˈtæn dʒə bəl /

adjective

1. not tangible; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch, as incorporeal or immaterial things; impalpable.

2. not definite or clear to the mind.

   intangible arguments.

   Synonyms:

   fleeting, elusive, vague

3. (of an asset, such as reputation or a patent) not physical or financial, and often not measurable or transferable, but contributing to the value of a business.

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noun

intangibles plural

1. something intangible, especially an intangible asset.

   Intangibles are hard to value.

intangible British  

/ ɪnˈtændʒɪbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being perceived by touch; impalpable

2. imprecise or unclear to the mind

   intangible ideas

3. (of property or a business asset) saleable though not possessing intrinsic productive value

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noun

1. something that is intangible

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intangibility
  noun
• intangibleness
  noun
• intangibly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• intangibles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of intangible

First recorded in 1630–40; from Medieval Latin intangibilis; see in- ³ ( def. ), tangible ( def. )

Explanation

You can't touch this word — it is intangible. You can grasp the meaning of the word in your head, but you can't close your hands around it; you'll just put fingerprints on your monitor. The Latin verb tangere means "to touch," and the 16th-century English word tangible comes from it. Something intangible can't be touched physically, but most of the time it is understandable or even felt in the heart. Sadness can't be picked up and thrown in the garbage can because it is intangible, but you can throw away the tissues wet with tears. Laughing is intangible too, but you can hold onto movies, pets, and friends that make you laugh.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intangible intangibles

“He’s done so many intangible things that I think get lost in the shuffle of numbers and metrics,” Prior said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

He said estimating the value of the sapling was difficult, because of its intangible sentimental value, likening it to a piece of "stolen art".

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

As the European Central Bank noted in a 2023 study, the "associated transactions in these intangible assets are often unrelated to euro area business cycle dynamics."

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Return on tangible common equity, or ROTCE, has become a standard measurement of earnings power for banks, with the denominator excluding intangible assets, such as deferred tax assets, loan-servicing rights and goodwill.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026

There was no escaping, none, from these spongy intangible fingers that pulled him on, on, on, irresistibly insistent, coaxing, maternal.

From "Beowulf: A New Telling" by Robert Nye

Yet there are also intangibles that can't simply be measured in data.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

There was no discussion of the intangibles, no consideration of the Angels being the Angels and what effect that will always have.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026

As part of that, remember to include information about intangibles: how the employee is regarded by peers, what attitude he or she brings to the job, how proactive he or she is about handling tasks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

Tangible book value excludes intangibles such as loan-servicing rights and deferred tax assets.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026

She knew that, while we were advanced for our age in some subjects, we were only average or below in some intangibles such as leadership and sociability.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Related Words

• ethereal
• unreal