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

The shift threatens advanced economies, and Germany now imports more advanced capital goods from China than it exports there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Government data showed that exports of capital goods like computers and civilian aircraft also climbed.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

The proportion of capital goods in the total output therefore increased from 62.9 percent in 1960 to 70.6 percent in 1970; it is scheduled to reach 72.8 percent by 1975.

From Area Handbook for Romania by Donald W. Bernier