tangible
/ˈtan(d)ʒɪb(ə)l
/adjective
1Perceptible by touch: the atmosphere of neglect and abandonment was almost tangible...
- The attraction between us was almost tangible, electricity visible to the naked eye.
- Night closed in with an almost tangible intensity.
- When we stopped getting outbreaks in the autumn of last year the relief, not only in country areas and among farmers but nationally, was almost tangible.
Synonyms
touchable, palpable, tactile, material, physical, real, substantial, corporeal, solid, concrete;
visible, noticeable
1.1Clear and definite; real: the emphasis is now on tangible results...
- Being labeled hypocrites is a price worth paying if it yields tangible results in the real world.
- I am very satisfied with what we have done and can really see some clear and tangible results.
- Could it be that there was actually a real and tangible hope that we would get out of here?
Synonyms
real, actual, solid, concrete, substantial, hard, well defined, definite, well documented, clear, clear-cut, distinct, manifest, evident, obvious, striking, indisputable, undoubted, unmistakable, positive, perceptible, verifiable, appreciable, measurable, discernible, intelligible
noun (usually tangibles)
A thing that is perceptible by touch: these are the only tangibles upon which an assessment can be made...
- Even in the straight world of economics, where production and tangibles were once central, indices of happiness, creativity and other non-material values have taken centre stage.
- That's why companies that once measured their worth strictly in terms of tangibles such as factories, inventory, and cash have realized that a vibrant brand, with its implicit promise of quality, is an equally important asset.
- Even without the should and will distinction, expectations regarding tangibles are consistently low in people-based industries.
Derivatives
tangibility
- Some people, for example, insist on tangibility as a criterion of the real, while others think that models and theories are real only if they are useful or operationally successful, rather than descriptive.
- I love the tangibility of a CD - its cover art and liner notes.
- OK, paying for stamps is a total pain and email is free, but there's something to be said for the tangibility of the letter.
tangibleness
- Others, however, argue that the tangibleness of paper documents yields certain benefits that will never disappear.
- This research selects three service areas for which transaction costs are likely to be significant, based on the tangibleness of service outputs and the complexity of service products.
- The solidity and tangibleness of the material world about us is an illusion.
tangibly
/ adverb ...- History books will tell us if these two days were the frontpiece of a missed military opportunity or whether the feeling that conflict was tangibly close was simply the result of media interpretation.
- In any event, state decision-makers will have to be moved by expressions of popular sentiment tangibly marked by active demonstration.
- And they can learn a lot from a curriculum that itself contributes tangibly to the well-being of the community.
Origin
Late 16th century: from French, or from late Latin tangibilis, from tangere 'to touch'.