personal property

American  

noun

Law.

1. an estate or property consisting of movable articles both corporeal, as furniture or jewelry, or incorporeal, as stocks or bonds (real property ).

   Synonyms:

   effects, chattel

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personal property British  

noun

1. Also called: personalty.  law movable property, such as furniture or money Compare real property

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personal property Cultural  

1. Furniture, automobiles, boats, and other possessions that are not included in the category of real property.

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Etymology

Origin of personal property

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Its efforts include a proposed ballot measure that would bar retroactive taxes, as well as banning new taxes on personal property, including retirement savings, stocks, bonds and intellectual property.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Whether or not this is personal property, it still technically falls under probate given that it’s solely in the decedent’s name without a transfer-on-death deed.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026

While it’s usually applied when the federal government exercises eminent domain and takes title to land, the takings clause also covers the government’s outright destruction of personal property.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026

You 100% should not be going through someone's personal property, especially if you are recording that and then posting that because that is a complete invasion of people's privacy.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

This inmate had transferred a couple of weeks before to R-gallery from the Box, but they had not yet returned his personal property.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover