capital goods

American  

plural noun

Economics.

1. machines and tools used in the production of other goods (consumer goods ).

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capital goods British  

plural noun

1. Also called: producer goods.  economics goods that are themselves utilized in the production of other goods rather than being sold to consumers Compare consumer goods

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capital goods Cultural  

1. Goods used in the production of commodities; producers' goods. (Compare consumer goods.)

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Etymology

Origin of capital goods

First recorded in 1895–1900

Compare meaning

How does capital-goods compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• consumer vs. capital goods

Example Sentences

The losers are sectors that depend on oil as an input, such as capital goods manufacturers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

This year for the first time, Germany imported more capital goods from China than it exported there.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

The possible beneficiaries include companies in the industrials, capital goods and tech hardware sectors, particularly in manufacturing, aerospace and automation.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 27, 2025

China’s previous economic transformation left the country with a voracious appetite for commodities, cars, and capital goods.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

Labor is thus analogous to capital and laborers to capital goods.

From Essentials of Economic Theory As Applied to Modern Problems of Industry and Public Policy by Clark, John Bates