assets

American  

[as-ets] / ˈæs ɛts /

plural noun

1. Finance. items or resources owned by a person, business, or government, as cash, notes and accounts receivable, securities, inventories, goodwill, fixtures, machinery, or real estate (liabilities ).

   Infrastructure assets, such as telecommunications systems, are not as available or as reliable in developing countries.

   Depreciation applies only to tangible assets, which are the assets that exist in physical form, like vehicles, computers, etc.

2. Accounting. the items detailed on a balance sheet, especially in relation to liabilities and capital.

   The balance sheet lists assets and liabilities in order of liquidity; in other words, the assets most easily converted to cash are listed first.

3. Law. all property available for the payment of debts for a bankrupt or insolvent business or person, or the payment of legacies or debts for a deceased person.

   It is the job of the receiver to sell your assets and distribute the proceeds to your creditors.

4. Informal. parts of a person’s body seen as sexual or attractive, especially a woman’s breasts or buttocks.

   That slinky, shiny outfit really shows off her assets.

---

assets British  

/ ˈæsɛts /

plural noun

1. accounting the property and claims against debtors that a business enterprise may apply to discharge its liabilities. Assets may be fixed, current, liquid, or intangible and are shown balanced against liabilities Compare liabilities

2. law the property available to an executor or administrator for settlement of the debts and payment of legacies of the estate of a deceased or insolvent person

3. any property owned by a person or firm

---

Etymology

Origin of assets

First recorded in 1300–50, for a previous sense; in phrase have assets “have enough (to pay obligations)”; asset ( def. )

Example Sentences

The board recognized by the U.S. government as the legitimate overseer of PdVSA’s overseas oil assets vowed to fight to keep Citgo under Venezuelan control.

From The Wall Street Journal

Moreover, Intel’s packaging assets are seeing increased demand given shortages, “which could buoy results a bit for the Foundry segment even in the near term.”

From Barron's

The region is rich with resources, from oil to copper, gold, silver, and other rare minerals—assets that have become all the more critical ever since China restricted rare earth exports early last year.

From Barron's

“This call is a bit more about upside in book value as foundry assets get a more optimistic look as we go through 2026,” he wrote of his new bullish stance.

From MarketWatch

The forced auction was a lengthy process that pitted Amber Energy against one other contender, Gold Reserves Ltd., a creditor of Venezuela that had its gold- and copper-mining assets expropriated.

From MarketWatch