intangible

1 of 2

adjective

in·​tan·​gi·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈtan-jə-bəl 

: not tangible : impalpable

education's intangible benefits

intangibility

in-ˌtan-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

intangibleness

in-ˈtan-jə-bəl-nəs 

noun

intangibly

in-ˈtan-jə-blē 

adverb

intangible

2 of 2

noun

: something intangible: such as

a

: an asset (such as goodwill) that is not corporeal

b

: an abstract quality or attribute

Synonyms

Adjective

• impalpable

Examples of intangible in a Sentence

Adjective

Leadership is an intangible asset to a company.

electrical energy is completely intangible

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Festivals offer an intangible that modern professionals crave. —Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024

The impact of these programs manifests in both tangible and intangible ways. —Hessie Jones, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024

Noun

The filter, inspired by an older paper by Ramanna and Watts (2008), is as follows: · Firms that hold more than $1 billion in goodwill and intangibles on their balance sheets as per their latest annual report; AND · Firms whose market to book ratio is less than one. —Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

Yager was the 14th pick in the 2023 draft, balancing McGroarty’s selection at that same spot one year earlier, and comes with a similar list of intangibles and awards. —The Athletic Staff, The Athletic, 22 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French or Medieval Latin; French, from Medieval Latin intangibilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin tangibilis tangible

First Known Use

Adjective

1640, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

intangible

adjective

in·​tan·​gi·​ble

(ˈ)in-ˈtan-jə-bəl

1

: not capable of being touched

light is intangible

2

: not capable of being thought of as matter or substance

health's intangible benefits

intangibility

(ˌ)in-ˌtan-jə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

intangible noun

intangibleness

(ˈ)in-ˈtan-jə-bəl-nəs

noun

intangibly

-blē

adverb

Legal Definition

intangible

1 of 2 adjective

in·​tan·​gi·​ble in-ˈtan-jə-bəl 

: incapable of being touched : having no physical existence : not tangible or corporeal

intangible

2 of 2 noun

: something intangible

specifically : an asset (as goodwill or a patent right) that is not corporeal