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

Compare meaning

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

• consumer vs. capital goods

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capital goods

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

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

“And because capital goods are roughly a third of imports, the induced import demand from the investment boom is large enough to hold up aggregate imports.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Many companies have shifted production from China to other countries to avoid U.S. tariffs, accelerating industrialization in Southeast Asia and Latin America—a boon for Chinese factories making intermediate and capital goods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Nondefense capital goods orders ex-aircraft, or core goods orders, have continued to strengthen in Q2.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

In theory, the demands of final consumers for consumption and capital goods would determine the nature of the contracts through all stages of production down to the producers of raw materials.

From Area Handbook for Romania by Donald W. Bernier