tangible

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈtændʒəbəl/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Capable of being touched or felt; having physical substance; perceptible by touch.; Real, concrete, or definite; not imaginary or vague; clearly perceptible or evident.; Having physical or material existence; corporeal, as opposed to intangible.; Substantial enough to be grasped by the mind; clearly understood or apprehended.
  2. noun
    Something that is tangible; a tangible thing or asset.
  3. adjective
    In law, referring to property that has physical form and can be physically possessed, such as real estate, vehicles, or equipment.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: tangibles Comparative: more tangible Superlative: most tangible

Collocations

tangible evidencetangible resultstangible benefitstangible assetstangible differencetangible proof

Derivatives

tangibilitytangiblyintangibleintangibilityintangibly

Synonyms

concreterealpalpableperceptiblesubstantialmaterial

Antonyms

intangibleabstractimmaterialethereal

Commonly confused

palpable
EN: 'Palpable' emphasizes something so intense it can almost be physically felt (often emotions or atmosphere); 'tangible' emphasizes something real, concrete, and measurable.
tangible vs. tangible
EN: Not to be confused with 'tangential,' which means only slightly relevant or merely touching on a subject.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'tangible' with 'tangential' (meaning only loosely related). Remember the '-ible' ending, not '-able'.

💬 Examples

  1. The sculpture had a tangible roughness that you could feel with your fingertips.

  2. The new policy has produced tangible improvements in public health.

  3. The company's tangible assets include buildings, machinery, and inventory.

  4. There was a tangible sense of relief in the room after the announcement.

  5. The accountant separated the tangibles from the intangibles on the balance sheet.

  6. Tangible personal property is subject to different tax rules than intangible property.