intangibility

American  

[in-tan-juh-bil-i-tee] / ɪnˌtæn dʒəˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely intangibleness

noun

1. the quality of not being tangible; inability to be perceived by the sense of touch.

   One debt cannot be measured, because of its intangibility—my debt to you all for your support of the project.

2. the quality of being unclear to the mind; vague or indefinite quality.

   Some writers stress the intangibility of the term “social movement” and seem almost happy to abandon any attempt to define it.

3. the quality of an asset that is not physical or financial, and often not measurable or transferable, but that contributes to the value of a business, such as reputation, patents, etc..

   The intangibility of knowledge assets makes them difficult to license out to independent firms without loss of quality control.

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Etymology

Origin of intangibility

First recorded in 1840–50; intang(ible) ( def. ) + -ibility ( def. )

Example Sentences

“This intangibility merely points us to the real site of the novel: the deeply psychological conversations.”

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2021

In theory, he doesn’t: His powers mostly involve intangibility, flight, and whatever he did to kill Ultron.

From Slate • Feb. 5, 2021

But at the same time it flies in the face of the must-make-teammates-better M.V.P. arguments we always hear and adds a bit of intangibility to his M.V.P. campaign.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2013

There's also the intangibility of what Tesla did, says Grenther.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2012

It was the very subtlety and intangibility of "they" that made him uneasy, made him less sure of himself and his own ability.

From Still Jim by Morrow, Honoré