/ ˈæset; NAmE / noun
1.
asset (to sb/sth) a person or thing that is valuable or useful to sb/sth :
She'll be an asset to the team.
In his job, patience is an invaluable asset.
2.
[ usually pl. ] a thing of value, especially property, that a person or company owns, which can be used or sold to pay debts :
the net asset value of the company
Her assets include shares in the company and a house in France.
asset sales / management
financial / capital assets
—compare liability
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in the plural in the sense sufficient estate to allow discharge of a will ): from an Anglo-Norman French legal term, from Old French asez enough, based on Latin ad to + satis enough.