intangibles
Things without substance
Intangibles are things that exist but cannot be touched or physically measured.
In business, intangible assets include brand reputation, intellectual property, and goodwill—valuable but not material.
In sports and hiring, intangibles are qualities like leadership, resilience, and chemistry that don't show up in statistics: His intangibles set him apart from other candidates.
The word acknowledges that some of the most important factors resist quantification.
Collective opinion of someone
- brandCompany's product line name
- loyaltyFaithful commitment to another
- trustConfidence in another
- credibilityQuality inspiring trust
prestige · esteem · recognition · rapport · allegiance · patronage · affinity · favor
Exclusive rights to inventions
- trademarksProtected commercial identifiers
- copyrightsLegal ownership of creations
- trade secretsProtected commercial knowledge
- licensingGranting official permission
know-how · formulas · algorithms · software · designs · blueprints · methodologies · processes
Skill from extensive practice
- skillsLearned competencies
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- leadershipAbility to direct others
experience · human capital · institutional memory · training · competencies · problem-solving · specialized knowledge · team dynamics
Moral soundness and consistency
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- conscienceInternal moral sense
dignity · righteousness · probity · rectitude · uprightness · scruples · ethics · moral character
Combined effect exceeding components
- competitive advantageFactor enabling market outperformance
- market positionStanding among competitors
- contractsEnforceable written agreements
- agreementsFormal mutual arrangements
partnerships · distribution networks · data · analytics · insights
reputation
Collective opinion of someone
credibility · prestige · esteem · recognition · rapport · allegiance · patronage · affinity · favor · benevolence
patents
Exclusive rights to inventions
- trademarksProtected commercial identifiers
- copyrightsLegal ownership of creations
- trade secretsProtected commercial knowledge
licensing · know-how · formulas · algorithms · software · designs · blueprints · methodologies · processes · brand names
expertise
Skill from extensive practice
- skillsLearned competencies
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- creativityCapacity for original thought
leadership · experience · human capital · institutional memory · training · competencies · problem-solving · specialized knowledge · team dynamics · organizational culture
integrity
Moral soundness and consistency
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
conscience · dignity · righteousness · probity · rectitude · uprightness · scruples · ethics · moral character · trustworthiness
synergy
Combined effect exceeding components
- competitive advantageFactor enabling market outperformance
- market positionStanding among competitors
- contractsEnforceable written agreements
agreements · partnerships · distribution networks · data · analytics · insights
- assetsproperty, cash, money, investments, bank accounts
- accountingbookkeeping, ledger, balance sheet, general ledger, accounts payable
- accounting termsassets, cash, expenses, equity, retained earnings
- superhumanssuperhumans, metahumans, superheroes, supervillains, mutants
- Valuationfair market value, market value, fair value, book value, appraised value
- star qualitiescharisma, presence, star power, star quality, magnetism
intangiblestangibles
Objects with physical existence
material goods · material things · solids · physical property · matter
intangiblesmeasurables
Quantifiable attributes or statistics
statistics · countables · metrics · data points · figures
intangiblestangible assets
Ownable items with substance
fixed assets · capital equipment · real estate · inventory · machinery
- intangible assetsNonmaterial items of value