These words refer to what one owns or has, such as money, land or other possessions of value. Wealth , considered in its concrete rather than its abstract sense, is a broad word meaning a store or accumulation of anything that men desire to possess. It is used especially of material things having economic utility or monetary value, and may be applied to individuals, groups or inanimate entities: a man of wealth ; a nation’s wealth . In a broader sense, wealth may refer to the possession of non-material things of value and may indicate a great abundance of anything: a wealth of experience; a wealth of learning.

The other words in this set are used to denote specific kinds wealth of. Property and estate generally refer to material possessions. Property is the broader terms, referring to any object of value that a person or group may lawfully acquire and own: private property ; government property . Property may be either real or personal; that is, it may consist of wealth regarded as immovable or permanent, such as land or buildings, or of wealth regarded as movable or temporary, such as jewellery, books, furniture and the like. Estate may refer to a usually extensive piece of landed property or to the residence built upon it: a country estate . In another sense, the term designates the entire property and possessions of a dead person or of a bankrupt: to settle creditors?claims against a millionaire’s estate . Certain intangible rights also are referred to as property , such as copyrights, patents and the like, and may be included in a deceased’s estate .

Assets is a legal and commercial term used to designate sources of wealth as opposed to liabilities. The assets of a person, partnership or company are all the real and personal property that could be converted into money if necessary for the payment of debts or legacies. In a literal sense, land, buildings, furniture, supplies, equipment, stocks, bonds and savings are assets . By extension, useful characteristics and attributes are often referred to as assets : An outgoing personality is a definite asset to a salesman.

Means and resources are wealth , particularly material possessions, that can be readily utilized for general or specific purposes. A man of means is presumed to possess money or negotiable assets sufficient to procure satisfactions in excess of bare necessities. The word means is sometimes qualified to indicate strictly limited funds: working girls of slender means . Or it may simply refer to one’s budget or to money available for spending: an expenditure beyond her means ; to give children equal opportunity for education, regardless of their families?means . The term resources implies the existence of a reserve supply of wealth or assets that can be drawn upon when needed. An individual’s resources may include his bank account, his business and his credit standing. A nation’s natural resources include its raw materials, such as water, oil, metals and fertile soil, as well as its human wealth, such as its scientists, artists and technicians. Resources can refer also to a person’s skill and ingenuity in handling problems and dealing with situations: a man of many resources ; invaluable in an emergency.

Goods is a limited term, referring to personal and movable property. It is usually reserved for merchandise or other saleable wares. Chattels is a broader word than goods but is generally limited to legal use nowadays. Chattels include goods and such other forms of wealth as promissory notes, mortgages, bonds and the like.