capital goods

American  

plural noun

Economics.

1. machines and tools used in the production of other goods (contrasted with consumer goods).

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capital goods British  

plural noun

1. Also called: producer goods. economics goods that are themselves utilized in the production of other goods rather than being sold to consumers Compare consumer goods

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capital goods Cultural  

1. Goods used in the production of commodities; producers' goods. (Compare consumer goods.)

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Etymology

Origin of capital goods

First recorded in 1895–1900

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Compare meaning

How does capital-goods compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• consumer vs. capital goods

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capital goods

September also saw narrowing market breadth, with funds heavily exposed to the semiconductor, capital goods, utility and materials sectors, while software, healthcare, luxury and other defensive stocks were under-owned, the strategists said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Here, Allspring places energy, utilities, basic industries, telecommunications, communications and capital goods.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

But exports of intermediate inputs and capital goods increased by more than $175 billion from the year prior, helping push China’s trade surplus to a record $1.2 trillion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

For the first time in decades, Germany now imports more advanced capital goods from China than it exports there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

It is a theory concerned with the prices of long-time goods and income-bearers, as lands, houses, capital goods of various sorts that give forth their services through a series of years, stocks, bonds, etc.

From The Value of Money by Benjamin M. Anderson

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