Property
'prɒpəti
Definitions
3 meaningsAn item or items belonging to someone; possessions.
'prɒpəti
Something that is owned
The house and land constitute the family's primary property.
💡 Simply: Property is everything you own, like your house, your car, or your favorite toy. It's what's yours! Imagine you have a cool video game – that's your property!
👶 For kids: Things that someone owns, like a toy or a house.
More Examples
The lost dog was returned to its property.
She accumulated considerable property throughout her life.
How It's Used
"The couple purchased a new property in the suburbs."
"The company's intellectual property includes patents and trademarks."
Land, especially with buildings on it, or the buildings themselves.
'prɒpəti
A piece of land or real estate
The company bought a large property to build a new factory.
💡 Simply: Imagine a place where you can build a house and plant trees; this is property. Think of the house you live in as your property.
👶 For kids: A piece of land, like where a house is.
More Examples
The property includes a large garden and a swimming pool.
She inherited a valuable property from her grandmother.
How It's Used
"They are looking for a property to build their dream home."
"Investing in property can be a good way to generate income."
An attribute, quality, or characteristic that is inherent to something.
'prɒpəti
An essential attribute or quality
One important property of water is its ability to dissolve many substances.
💡 Simply: Every object has special features that make it what it is. These special features, like the taste of your favorite candy, are called properties. For example, a soft blanket has the property of softness!
👶 For kids: A special thing about something, like how it feels or what it can do.
More Examples
The metal's unique properties made it ideal for construction.
The book's key property was its ability to capture the reader's attention.
How It's Used
"Density is a fundamental property of matter."
"The unique properties of diamond make it valuable in many different industrial applications."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
property rights
The legal rights associated with ownership of property, including the right to use, possess, and dispose of it.
"The government is working to protect property rights."
intellectual property
Creative works or inventions that are the product of the intellect.
"The company aggressively protects its intellectual property through patents and copyrights."
From Middle English properte, from Old French properté, from Latin proprietas (“ownership, quality”), from proprius (“one's own”).
The word 'property' has been used in English since the 14th century, initially referring to an attribute or quality, and later expanding to encompass ownership.
Memory tip
Think of your belongings as your property.
Word Origin
"appropriateness, quality, characteristic"