tangible

American  

[tan-juh-buhl] / ˈtæn dʒə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being touched; discernible by the touch; material or substantial.

   Synonyms:

   corporeal, palpable

2. real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary.

   the tangible benefits of sunshine.

   Synonyms:

   perceptible, genuine, certain

3. definite; not vague or elusive.

   no tangible grounds for suspicion.

   Synonyms:

   specific

4. (of an asset) having actual physical existence, as real estate or chattels, and therefore capable of being assigned a value in monetary terms.

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noun

1. something tangible, especially a tangible asset.

tangible British  

/ ˈtændʒəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being touched or felt; having real substance

   a tangible object

2. capable of being clearly grasped by the mind; substantial rather than imaginary

   tangible evidence

3. having a physical existence; corporeal

   tangible assets

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noun

1. (often plural) a tangible thing or asset

Other Word Forms

• nontangibleness
  noun
• tangibility
  noun
• tangibleness
  noun
• nontangible
  adjective
• pretangible
  adjective
• quasi-tangible
  adjective
• untangible
  adjective
• nontangibly
  adverb
• pretangibly
  adverb
• quasi-tangibly
  adverb
• tangibly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of tangible

First recorded in 1580–90; from Late Latin tangibilis, from Latin tang(ere) “to touch” + -ibilis -ible; cf. tangent ( def. )

Explanation

When you can touch something, it's tangible: "I need tangible proof that aliens exist — I want to shake their little green hands!" Tangible is from Latin tangere, "to touch," and it simply means something that can be touched or felt, though it can be used in metaphorical senses: tangible assets have a value that can be precisely measured, and tangible grief can be clearly sensed by an onlooker. So you might not need to physically touch something for it to be tangible, but it has to be grounded in the real world of facts.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tangible

But its return on tangible common equity rose to 15.4% from 12.3%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Constitution can work as it was intended, to offer tangible protections for each and every one of us.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

The criticism surrounding Fire Point has had at least one tangible consequence, she acknowledges: some projects with foreign partners were delayed for several months for additional compliance procedures.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

He tells the paper that he will offer Britons a series of "tangible" improvements to help with the cost of living, as the first step in his 10-year plan to "rewire the economy".

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

We know all this from the tangible remains of Neolithic settlements that have been uncovered by excavation.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson