asset

[ as-et ]

noun

1. a useful and desirable thing or quality:

   Organizational ability is an asset.

2. a single item of ownership having exchange value:

   Our summer home is an asset we're not willing to sell.

3. (in intelligence) a person followed or spied upon to obtain information: as a participant in an operation, an asset may be consenting, forced, as by blackmail, or unaware of being used: Compare confidential informant.

   It was a catalog of virtually every CIA asset within the Soviet Union.

4. 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.

5. assets. assets ( def ).

asset

/ ˈæsɛt /

noun

1. See assets
   anything valuable or useful See also assets

   experience is their main asset

asset

1. A possession that can be turned into cash to cover liabilities .

Notes

Commonly, the term denotes anything of value.

Other Words From

• as·set·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of asset¹

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”; assai ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of asset¹

C19: back formation from assets

Example Sentences

A rising China can be a significant asset for the region and the world, and selfishly, for the United States.

From Washington Post

However, search bars are a valuable asset that can increase internal sessions and conversion.

From Search Engine Watch

It helps establish your company as an entity, which in itself is a great asset to your SEO.

From Search Engine Land

At the same time, they have all but stopped lending money for the higher-end properties worth too much for the government to accept, suggesting that the banks are knowingly passing climate liabilities along to taxpayers as stranded assets.

From ProPublica

The emphasis has shifted away from obsessing over consistency of tone and protecting brand assets.

From Digiday

First, his credentials: He did international mergers and acquisitions at Lazard, a financial and asset management firm.

From The Daily Beast

What had been the greatest asset of the paperback revolution,” observes Rabinowitz, “became its greatest danger.

From The Daily Beast

Its biggest asset, of course, is the steely Atwell, who never asks you to feel sorry for Carter despite all the sexism around her.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps one of the most egregious examples is the abuse of civil asset forfeiture laws.

From The Daily Beast

At the same time she became an accomplished social and political asset to her boss.

From The Daily Beast

In such incompetent hands the malt business soon fell to be a liability rather than an asset.

From Project Gutenberg

In an army thoroughly disorganised a good draughtsman with an eye for country was no despicable asset.

From Project Gutenberg

But that he did not count an asset, because he had not himself taken account of this new capital.

From Project Gutenberg

The whole thing wasn't any bigger an asset than a job as a section hand on the U P.

From Project Gutenberg

Getting out the Standing Room Only sign is always an asset for future entertainments.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• aid
• benefit
• credit
• resource
• service