What does intangibility mean?
Intangibility is the quality of something that cannot be touched, directly perceived, or easily reduced to a precise measurement. It most often describes abstract qualities such as trust, goodwill, reputation, beauty, emotion, and the experience of being human. In business contexts, the intangibility of goodwill can make it difficult to value a company or explain why its worth exceeds the value of its physical assets. In philosophy and the humanities, it may refer more broadly to the limits of language and the difficulty of describing subjective experience. The word is more specific than “invisibility,” because something intangible may be clearly perceived without being physically tangible. It is also more specific than “mystery,” since intangibility does not necessarily imply that something is hidden or incomprehensible. The term is useful when discussing values that have real effects but resist simple measurement.
nounThe quality of being intangible: impossible to touch, perceive clearly, define precisely, or measure in a straightforward physical way. It can also refer to the difficult-to-quantify nature of an abstract idea or quality.
- The quality of being impossible to touch or perceive directly.
- The quality of being difficult to define, measure, or evaluate precisely.
"The intangibility of trust makes it difficult to measure, even though it strongly affects the success of a relationship."
"The intangibility of the company's reputation makes it difficult to put a figure on the value of its brand."
"Patients recovering from serious injuries often speak about the intangibility of hope and the difficulty of describing their recovery to others."
The plural is used when referring to multiple qualities or aspects that are intangible.
"The study examines the subtle intangibilities that shape a person's sense of belonging."
Intangibility names the paradox at the heart of trust, reputation, and emotion: they cannot be touched, yet they shape our lives in very tangible ways.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of intangibility
Intangibility is formed from the English adjective intangible, which comes from Latin intangibilis, “untouchable.” That adjective contains the Latin prefix in-, meaning “not,” and tangibilis, derived from tangere, “to touch.” The suffix -ity, ultimately associated with Latin -itas, forms the noun intangibility, meaning “the quality or state of being intangible.” Related English words such as tangible, tangency, and tangent continue the same Latin root.
How intangibility is actually used
The noun is relatively formal and is especially common in discussion of business, law, philosophy, and the humanities. It is frequently used with the abstract noun qualities such as trust, goodwill, beauty, or emotion.