intangible

/in'tændʤəbl/

Thân thiện

An artist tries to capture the intangible feeling of joy in a painting.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Lacking physical substance; incapable of being touched or seen: Refers to something that does not have a material form and cannot be perceived through the sense of touch.
   • Difficult to define, identify, or grasp: Describes something abstract, vague, or not easily understood or quantified.
   • (Of business assets) Not having physical substance or intrinsic productive value: Used in finance and accounting to describe valuable assets that are not physical objects.

2. Noun:

   • Assets that are saleable though not material or physical: Non-physical items that hold economic value and can be owned or sold.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Trust and loyalty are intangible qualities that are vital for a strong team.
  • The artist tried to capture the intangible beauty of the sunset in her painting.
  • Goodwill is a key intangible asset on the company's balance sheet.

• Noun:

  • The company's valuation is high due to its intangibles, like its brand reputation and patents.
  • In the modern economy, intangibles often constitute a major part of a firm's worth.

Advanced Usage

• "Intangible cultural heritage": Traditions, expressions, knowledge, or skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage, which are passed down but not physical objects.

  • Storytelling and folk songs are part of our intangible cultural heritage.

• "Intangible benefit": A positive outcome or advantage that is not material or easily measured.

  • The intangible benefits of volunteering include a sense of purpose and community connection.

Variants and Related Words

• Intangibility (noun): The quality of being intangible.

  • The intangibility of digital products makes them easy to distribute globally.

• Intangibly (adverb): In an intangible manner.

  • The concept of happiness is intangibly linked to one's personal values.

Synonyms

• Immaterial: Not consisting of matter; without physical substance.
• Incorporeal: Not composed of matter; having no material existence.
• Abstract: Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.
• Impalpable: Unable to be felt by touch; very difficult to understand.

Antonyms

• Tangible: Perceptible by touch; clear and definite; real.
• Concrete: Existing in a material or physical form; real, solid.
• Palpable: Able to be touched or felt; so intense as to be almost touched or felt.

Related Phrases

• Intangible asset: A non-physical asset with value, such as intellectual property, brand recognition, or software.

  • The company invested heavily in developing its intangible assets.

• Intangible value: The worth of something that is not derived from its physical properties.

  • The intangible value of a trusted brand can far exceed the value of its physical factories.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. lacking substance or reality; incapable of being touched or seen
   • that intangible thing--the soul
2. hard to pin down or identify
   • an intangible feeling of impending disaster
3. incapable of being perceived by the senses especially the sense of touch
   • the intangible constituent of energy- James Jeans
4. (of especially business assets) not having physical substance or intrinsic productive value
   • intangible assets such as good will

Noun

1. assets that are saleable though not material or physical

Từ đồng nghĩa

• nonphysical
• impalpable
• intangible asset