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; 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

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

From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026

Tangible issues, including their insurance coverage and savings, mix with intangibles like family dynamics, the trauma of losing a home and the deluge of choices needed to build a new one.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

Tangible measures are what matter, argues Dr Lane.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2025

Examples of both series are on view in “Yves Klein and the Tangible World,” a show of around 30 works on view in the gallery’s sprawling mansion through May 25.

From New York Times • May 3, 2024

Tangible "goods" like happiness or "social values" are held up as standards, as if these values were ends in themselves and the problem of an ultimate human worth were irrelevant.

From College Teaching Studies in Methods of Teaching in the College by Klapper, Paul