- anything owned that has exchange value
- a valuable or desirable thing to have: charm is your chief asset
- [pl.]Accounting all the entries on a balance sheet showing the entire resources of a person or business, tangible and intangible, including accounts and notes receivable, cash, inventory, equipment, real estate, goodwill, etc.
- [pl.]Law
- property, as of a business, a bankrupt, etc.
- the property of a deceased person available to his or her estate for the payment of debts and legacies
Origin of asset
earlier assets from Anglo-French assetz (in legal phrase aver assetz, to have enough) from Old French assez, enough from Vulgar Latin an unverified form ad satis, sufficient from Classical Latin ad, to + satis, enough: see sad
