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 (distinguished from 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

See Examples For:

personal property

Infrastructure, community homes, and personal property were all destroyed, Chief Pauline Drake told CBC News on Sunday.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

"The United States is the only country in the world where fossils like this are considered personal property," Cassandra Hatton, head of science and natural history at Sotheby's, told AFP before the auction.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Some jurisdictions also levy eye-watering personal property taxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

The group has told donors that it offers “near-term and longer-term protection against wasteful government spending and any and all new taxes on personal property and personal assets.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 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