physical capital

[ fiz-i-kuhl kap-i-tl ]

noun

1. tools, machinery, computers, and other equipment that are needed for the production of goods and services:

   money spent by business firms on physical capital.

Word History and Origins

Origin of physical capital¹

First recorded in 1835–45, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

But along with the focus on "physical capital", Mr Modi needs to pay heed to creating "human capital", says Dr Raghuram Rajan, the former governor of India's central bank.

From BBC

It's reasonable to assume Britney felt these same pressures and couldn't afford to feel invisible, a child star with more tenacity than raw talent, but an indisputable entertainer nonetheless, unobstructed by beauty standards that were attainable enough for her, so she charged steadfastly into an industry where her physical capital commanded the most money and power.

From Salon

Women's physical capital, however, is a significant function of what they owe to society in exchange for attention, money, and power, and this lesson is internalized almost immediately as a child, when girls first learn to pinch at their bodies and pose in ways that make them look leaner.

From Salon

Over the past two months, leading business groups privately told the administration that the infrastructure package should be focused primarily on physical capital projects — such as roads and bridges — rather than on the caregiving priorities, such as child care, three people familiar with the internal conversations said.

From Washington Post

Staying at the cutting edge is expensive: Between 1965 and 1980, federal expenditures on scientific research, physical capital and education regularly amounted to about 2.5 percent of G.D.P., more than $500 billion today.

From New York Times