asset
Americannoun
-
a useful and desirable thing or quality.
Organizational ability is an asset.
-
a single item of ownership having exchange value.
Our summer home is an asset we're not willing to sell.
-
Digital Technology. one of the media components that, taken together, comprise all of the elements of a video game, such as the environments, objects, character art and animation, and sound design.
All of the game assets are downloaded to your hard drive during the install, so slow load times are local and indicate a problem with your drive.
-
(in intelligence and information gathering) a person followed or spied upon to obtain information, who may be consenting, forced, or unaware of being used.
They threatened to release a catalog of virtually every CIA asset within the Soviet Union.
-
Military. a physical resource, such as a piece of equipment, vehicle, or building.
-
assets. see assets.
noun
Discover More
Commonly, the term denotes anything of value.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of asset
First recorded in 1525–35; back formation from assets, in phrase have assets, literally, “have enough (to pay obligations),” from Anglo-French, Old French asez “enough,” from unattested Vulgar Latin ad satis “to sufficiency”; see also assai 1
Explanation
An asset is something you have that is positive. It can mean a piece of property, a piece of equipment, an ability, or even a quality. "Her facility with math is an asset when it comes to figuring out the restaurant tab. She is an asset to the group." A person's overall financial picture is determined by lining up everything they own in the asset column, and everything they owe in the liability (or debit) column.
Vocabulary lists containing asset
Hatchet
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Trumps
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: March 30–April 5, 2019
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are risks to policyholders: Asset managers could impose excessive fees on affiliated insurers or stash underperforming, hard-to-sell assets on insurance company balance sheets.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
And if AI is only now beginning to boost profit margins, investors won’t have to worry about the multiple for a while, says Linda Bakhshian, chief investment officer of equities at Nomura Asset Management International.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
The bags were among 1,200 seized assets to be sold at the Ho Chi Minh City Asset Auction Service Center on Monday, according to local media.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
“It’s really a dichotomy when you look at the consumer,” said Ken Mahoney, chief executive of Mahoney Asset Management.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
It had a sticker with an Asset Inventory Code that was sixteen characters long beginning with SS2K.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
