asset
asset Lexical Profile
asset Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A useful or valuable quality, skill, or person that serves as an advantage or resource.
"Her fluency in three languages is a tremendous asset to our international research team."
An item of property or economic resource owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.
"The corporation decided to sell several real estate assets to fund its renewable energy expansion."
An informant or operative recruited by an intelligence agency to provide confidential information from within a foreign country or organization.
"The intelligence officer met secretly with a local asset to verify the diplomatic cables."
Word Nuance & Usage
In financial and accounting contexts, the plural form 'assets' is typically used to refer collectively to the property and resources owned by a person or business, whereas the singular 'asset' is more common when describing a valuable trait or person.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Anglo-Norman legal phrase 'aver assetz' (to have enough to meet one's debts), from Old French 'assez' (enough), which traces back to Vulgar Latin 'ad satis' (to sufficiency). The word was originally a singular noun ending in '-s' ('assets') before 'asset' was back-formed as a singular in the 19th century.