illiquid

[ih-lik-wid]

adjective

1. not readily convertible into cash; not liquid.

illiquid

/ ɪˈlɪkwɪd /

adjective

1. (of an asset) not easily convertible into cash

2. (of an enterprise, organization, etc) deficient in liquid assets

Other Word Forms

• illiquidity noun
• illiquidly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of illiquid¹

First recorded in 1685–95; il- ² + liquid

Example Sentences

Others hold businesses or other illiquid assets.

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Illiquid investments accounted for $685 billion—about 18%—of the $3.8 trillion in fixed-income investments insurers held at the end of 2024.

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The industry’s holdings are unusually concentrated, with just 10 insurers controlling about 43% of the illiquid assets held at the end of 2024, Moody’s found.

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Of the illiquid investments with investment-grade credit ratings, 41% had Baa ratings, the lowest level above junk.

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As a bond-fund manager, says Auwaerter, “When I bought illiquid stuff, I was getting a return premium for it! Here, it’s a trifecta of bad things: lower returns, higher fees and no liquidity. You’ve got to be paid for taking all those risks, and that’s absolutely not the case.”

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