Meaning & use
assets
Last updated
“assets” is a form of “asset”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounusually pluralbusinessfinance
Things of value that a person or company owns, such as money, property, equipment and investments, which can be used to pay debts.
Grammar: Usually plural in business: the firm's assets; singular asset appears for one item.
Patterns
- the assets of something
- freeze someone's assets
The company sold several assets to pay off its loans.
A court froze the businessman's assets while it investigated the fraud.
Her main assets are a small house and a savings account.
nounpluralapproving
Useful qualities, skills or people that are valuable to a team or organization.
Grammar: Often used for people or skills: he is one of the team's biggest assets.
Patterns
- an asset to something
Her calm manner and language skills are huge assets in customer service.
The new striker has been a real asset to the club.
Word forms
| singular | asset |
|---|
Common combinations
- liquid assets
- A bank must keep enough liquid assets to cover withdrawals.
- total assets
- The firm's total assets exceeded two billion dollars.
- freeze assets
- Authorities froze the assets of the fraud suspect.
- fixed assets
- Buildings and machinery are fixed assets.
- valuable assets
- Good staff are a company's most valuable assets.
Synonyms and how they differ
- property
- It stresses things you own, including land, while assets includes money and rights as well as property.
- resources
- It is broader and can mean anything that can be used, while assets is more about ownership and value.
- holdings
- It usually means investments or land held, whereas assets can also include cash and equipment.
Opposites
Word family
- asset noun
- one item of value
- asset management noun
- the professional handling of investments
- asset-based adjective
- relying on the value of what is owned
- asset-rich adjective
- owning a lot but with little cash
Commonly confused: assets or liabilities?
assets vs liabilities
Liabilities are what a business owes, while assets are what it owns.
Practice
In accounting, which of these is an asset for a bakery?
Choose one answer.
Ovens and a van are items of value the bakery owns, so they are assets. Unpaid bills, loans and taxes are liabilities, which is the tempting contrast.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “assets”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.