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REFERENCE

tangible

adj. · n.
US //ˈtændʒəbəɫ// UK //tˈændʒəbəl// tan·gi·ble
  1. 1 real or concrete (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    real and clear to see, rather than just an idea or a feeling.

    capable of being treated as fact; substantial rather than imaginary or speculative.

    Example

    The company has seen tangible benefits from the new training program, like fewer mistakes.

    Example

    The peace talks have yet to produce any tangible results, leaving the international community skeptical about the possibility of a lasting ceasefire.
  2. 2 touchable (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    able to be touched or felt physically.

    perceptible by the sense of touch; having physical substance.

    Example

    The museum allows children to handle tangible objects from the past.

    Example

    The tension in the courtroom was almost tangible, as if the silence itself had a physical weight that pressed down on the spectators.
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  1. 3 physical assets (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Formal Law

    things that a person or company owns that you can physically touch, like buildings or equipment.

    physical assets or property that possess a material form, often used in accounting or legal contexts.

    Example

    The firm's tangibles, including its machinery and vehicles, were sold to pay off debts.

    Example

    In the valuation of the corporation, the auditors focused on tangibles such as real estate and inventory while discounting the brand's intellectual property.

    Usage

    Usually used in the plural form 'tangibles'.
Origin

Borrowed from Middle French tangible, from Late Latin tangibilis, from Latin tangere (“to touch”)

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