intangible
not physical or touchable
Something intangible is real or important, but you cannot touch it because it has no physical form.
intangible [thing/asset/right]
- Much of the company's value is intangible, including its brand, software, and customer data.
- Copyright is an intangible form of property.
- The service is intangible, but customers still judge it by the quality of their experience.
- Ideas are intangible.
- A brand can be an intangible asset.
hard to define or measure
Something intangible is hard to explain or measure, but it can still be real and important.
an intangible [quality/feeling/benefit]; something intangible about [someone/something]
- The coach values the player's speed, but also his intangible leadership.
- There was an intangible sense of unease in the room.
- Good design can create intangible benefits that are hard to put into numbers.
- The city has an intangible charm.
- Trust is an intangible part of teamwork.
nonphysical valuable factor
An intangible is a useful or important quality that you cannot touch or measure easily.
[usually plural] intangibles; an intangible
- Experience and trust are intangibles that make the team stronger.
- The hiring committee considered intangibles such as judgment and cultural fit.
- Investors sometimes undervalue intangibles like brand loyalty.
- Confidence is an intangible.
- The team has many intangibles.
nonphysical business asset
In business, intangibles are valuable things a company owns that are not physical objects.
[usually plural] intangibles
- The acquisition price included $40 million for intangibles such as customer relationships and trademarks.
- Many tech companies hold more value in intangibles than in factories or equipment.
- The auditors reviewed the company's intangibles for possible impairment.
- A trademark is an intangible.
- Patents and brands are intangibles.
- Base: intangible
- Base: intangible
- Plural: intangibles
intangible benefits
1hard-to-measure advantages
Good results that are important but hard to measure.
- Remote work brought intangible benefits, including better morale and lower stress.
- The museum project has intangible benefits for local pride and community identity.
- The report focuses on cost savings but also mentions several intangible benefits.
intangible costs
1hard-to-measure disadvantages
Bad effects that are real but hard to measure exactly.
- The layoffs saved money, but the intangible costs to morale were high.
- Noise pollution has intangible costs, such as anxiety and reduced quality of life.
- The company underestimated the intangible costs of losing experienced staff.
intangible cultural heritage
1living cultural traditions
Traditional songs, skills, festivals, or knowledge that a community keeps alive.
- Traditional weaving is part of the region's intangible cultural heritage.
- UNESCO lists some festivals and craft traditions as intangible cultural heritage.
- The program teaches young people skills that are central to their community's intangible cultural heritage.
intangible property
1nonphysical legal property
Legal property that has value but is not a physical thing.
- The contract transfers both physical equipment and intangible property, including patents and trademarks.
- Some states have special rules for taxing intangible property.
- A copyright is a common example of intangible property.
intangible value
1value hard to measure
Value that is real but difficult to count or price exactly.
- The brand has intangible value that does not appear fully on the balance sheet.
- A good mentor adds intangible value to a young employee's career.
- The redesign created intangible value by making customers feel more confident.