assets

American  

[as-ets] / ˈæs ɛts /

plural noun

1. Finance. items or resources owned by a person, business, or government, as cash, notes and accounts receivable, securities, inventories, goodwill, fixtures, machinery, or real estate (liabilities ).

   Infrastructure assets, such as telecommunications systems, are not as available or as reliable in developing countries.

   Depreciation applies only to tangible assets, which are the assets that exist in physical form, like vehicles, computers, etc.

2. Accounting. the items detailed on a balance sheet, especially in relation to liabilities and capital.

   The balance sheet lists assets and liabilities in order of liquidity; in other words, the assets most easily converted to cash are listed first.

3. Law. all property available for the payment of debts for a bankrupt or insolvent business or person, or the payment of legacies or debts for a deceased person.

   It is the job of the receiver to sell your assets and distribute the proceeds to your creditors.

4. Informal. parts of a person’s body seen as sexual or attractive, especially a woman’s breasts or buttocks.

   That slinky, shiny outfit really shows off her assets.

---

assets British  

/ ˈæsɛts /

plural noun

1. accounting the property and claims against debtors that a business enterprise may apply to discharge its liabilities. Assets may be fixed, current, liquid, or intangible and are shown balanced against liabilities Compare liabilities

2. law the property available to an executor or administrator for settlement of the debts and payment of legacies of the estate of a deceased or insolvent person

3. any property owned by a person or firm

---

Etymology

Origin of assets

First recorded in 1300–50, for a previous sense; in phrase have assets “have enough (to pay obligations)”; asset ( def. )

Example Sentences

Too many assets remain clustered around Brussels or more generally west of the Rhine.

From The Wall Street Journal

France, and Italy each deployed naval assets to the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, situated just 125 miles from Lebanon, after Iranian drone strikes hit U.K. bases.

From Los Angeles Times

We look at where the managers are most “overweight,” meaning the assets on which they are placing their biggest bets, and most “underweight,” meaning the assets they are shunning.

From MarketWatch

Most independent advisers are fee-only, meaning they charge you an annual fee based on a percentage of the overall assets you invest with them.

From The Wall Street Journal

On the other hand, interest rates and precious metals prices typically move in opposite directions, as non-interest-bearing assets—such as gold— fall out of favor when rates are high.

From Barron's