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

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

Etymology

Origin of tangible

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

Example Sentences

Its ensemble is still a well-oiled machine powered by the performers’ chemistry and clear affection for each other and their characters’ tangible vulnerability.

From Salon

Opalite is a man-made version of the stone - which Swift uses as a metaphor for the fact her happiness is a tangible, human phenomenon, instead of a product of luck or magoc.

From BBC

The French bank said Friday that it expects a return on tangible equity—a key profitability metric for banks—of more than 10% this year, up from a previous target range of 9% to 10%.

From The Wall Street Journal

Samaria is a region born of a tangible transaction in the ninth century B.C., mentioned more than 100 times as the heart of the Northern Kingdom.

From The Wall Street Journal

“While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine,” he wrote on X.

From The Wall Street Journal