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

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Etymology

Origin of intangible

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

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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

These gifts create an intangible, everpresent debt to be repaid.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

This is the book expense to gradually write down the value of its customer base and other acquired intangible assets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

“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

Beyond these differences are others that are no less real because they are intangible.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Separately, the new chair of the OBR Jonathan Haskel is known for his argument that official statistics understate investment in intangibles like software and data.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

“Records are made to be beaten. But the intangibles, the things that he did as the team’s captain, the leadership that he provided, the type of a player he was, very unselfish,” Evans said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026

So we asked workplace performance expert Henna Pryor how workers can go about making sure they have more of the intangibles that could be required to stand out in the AI era.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 11, 2026

Now, he says the killings introduce new intangibles, like getting the school on its feet and addressing community mental wellness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

Grief, terror, love, longing — these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

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Related Words

• ethereal
• unreal

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