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asset

n.
US //ˈæˌsɛt// UK //ˈæsɛt// as·set
  1. 1 a useful quality or person (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person or quality that is useful or helps you succeed.

    a useful or valuable quality, skill, or person that provides an advantage.

    Example

    Her ability to speak three languages is a huge asset to the company.

    Example

    The manager quickly realised that the new recruit's calm temperament during a crisis was his greatest professional asset.
  2. 2 property or money (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Finance

    something valuable that a person or company owns, such as money, property, or land.

    an item of property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts or commitments.

    Example

    The bank looked at his assets, including his house and car, before giving him a loan.

    Example

    The corporation was forced to liquidate its fixed assets to cover the mounting losses from its failed overseas expansion.
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  1. 3 a spy or informant (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a person who provides secret information to a government or intelligence agency.

    an individual who provides information or services to an intelligence agency, often while operating within a foreign country or organisation.

    Example

    The agency lost contact with their main asset in the capital city.

    Example

    Intelligence officials refused to comment on the identity of the asset who had provided the location of the insurgent headquarters.
  2. 4 body parts (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang Humorous

    a person's physical features, especially those considered attractive.

    a person's physical attributes, typically used to refer to the breasts, buttocks, or genitalia in a suggestive manner.

    Example

    She wore a tight dress that showed off her best assets.

    Example

    The tabloid article focused more on the actress's physical assets than on her performance in the film.
  3. 5 digital or technical resource (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a digital file or piece of software that can be used again in different projects.

    any digital component, model, or framework of value that can be leveraged or reused across multiple systems or projects.

    Example

    The game developers created a library of 3D assets to use in the new level.

    Example

    The software architecture was designed to ensure that every digital asset could be easily integrated into future iterations of the platform.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Early Medieval Latin ad Proto-Indo-European *seh₂-der. Early Medieval Latin satis Early Medieval Latin ad satis Old French asez Anglo-Norman asetzder. English assetsbf. English asset Back-formation from assets, from Anglo-Norman asetz, from Old French assez (“enough”). Compare Middle English asseth.

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