property

noun

prop·​er·​ty ˈprä-pər-tē 

plural properties

1

a

: a quality or trait belonging and especially peculiar to an individual or thing

b

: an effect that an object has on another object or on the senses

c

: virtue sense 2

d

: an attribute common to all members of a class

2

a

: something owned or possessed

specifically : a piece of real estate

b

: the exclusive right to possess, enjoy, and dispose of a thing : ownership

c

: something to which a person or business has a legal title

d

: one (such as a performer) who is under contract and whose work is especially valuable

e

: a book or script purchased for publication or production

3

: an article or object that is used in a play, television show, or movie and that does not include painted scenery and costumes : prop entry 3

propertyless

ˈprä-pər-tē-ləs 

adjective

propertylessness

ˈprä-pər-tē-ləs-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of property

• plot
• tract
• parcel

Choose the Right Synonym for property

quality, property, character, attribute mean an intelligible feature by which a thing may be identified.

quality is a general term applicable to any trait or characteristic whether individual or generic.

material with a silky quality

property implies a characteristic that belongs to a thing's essential nature and may be used to describe a type or species.

the property of not conducting heat

character applies to a peculiar and distinctive quality of a thing or a class.

remarks of an unseemly character

attribute implies a quality ascribed to a thing or a being.

the attributes of a military hero

Examples of property in a Sentence

We are not responsible for the loss of personal property.

He was trying to sell stolen property.

He was caught trespassing on private property.

She owns all sorts of property around town.

The students were caught smoking on school property.

He owns several valuable properties in the area.

a developer of commercial properties

One of the properties of helium is its lightness.

A unique property of garlic is its strong odor.

The two plants have similar physical properties.

Recent Examples on the Web

How dare this newcomer suggest that the towering maple between their properties be trimmed or cut down? —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025

That especially applies to properties linked to some of the city’s most chilling murder cases. —Chris Lau, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

The whole property was infested with rats. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025

Wellness and Spa The property is renowned for its spa, known as the Como Shambhala Retreat, which has nine treatment rooms. —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English proprete, properte, propriete "distinctive quality, proper meaning of a word, propriety, fitness, ownership, land or goods owned," borrowed from Anglo-French propreté, propreté, proprieté, borrowed from Latin propriētāt-, propriētās "special character of a thing, proper meaning of a word, fitness, rightness, ownership" (Medieval Latin also "something owned, possession"), from proprius "one's own, peculiar to one person or thing" + -ētat-, -ētas, variant of -itās -ity after a vowel — more at proper entry 1

Note: Anglo-French properté and variants are presumably a re-formation of proprieté, as if from propre proper entry 1 and -té. Modern English propriety continues a restricted subset of the original meanings of the Middle English word.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing property

• common property
• community property
• intellectual property
• personal property
• property damage
• property damage insurance
• property right
• property tax
• public property

Kids Definition

property

noun

prop·​er·​ty ˈpräp-ərt-ē 

plural properties

1

: a special quality of something

the commutative property of addition

sweetness is a property of sugar

2

: something (as land, goods, or money) that is owned

that lamp is my aunt's property

especially : a piece of real estate

a business property

3

: something other than scenery or costumes that is used in a play or movie

propertyless

-ē-ləs 

adjective

Legal Definition

property

noun

prop·​er·​ty

plural properties

1

: something (as an interest, money, or land) that is owned or possessed see also asset, estate, interest sense 1, possession sense 1e

— abandoned property

: property to which the owner has relinquished all rights

Note: When property is abandoned, the owner gives up the reasonable expectation of privacy concerning it. The finder of abandoned property is entitled to keep it, and a police officer may take possession of abandoned property as evidence without violating the guarantee against unreasonable searches and seizures in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

— after-acquired property

: property (as proceeds) that a debtor acquires after the commencement of a bankruptcy case and that is usually considered part of the bankruptcy estate

: property acquired after the perfection of a lien or security interest

especially : such property acquired after the creation of a lien or security interest that is subject to the lien or becomes collateral for the security interest

: property transferred to the estate of a decedent after execution of the will

— common property

: property owned or used by more than one party

specifically : property owned or leased by tenants in common compare tenancy in common at tenancy

— community property

: property held jointly by husband and wife

specifically : property especially from employment acquired by either spouse after marriage that is deemed in states having a community property system to belong to both spouses as undivided one-half interests compare joint tenancy and tenancy by the entirety at tenancy ownership in indivision at ownership

Note: The states having community property laws are Louisiana, Arizona, California, Texas, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wisconsin.

— immovable property

: real property in this entry

specifically, in the civil law of Louisiana : tracts of land with their component parts

— intangible property

: property (as a stock certificate or professional license) that derives value not from its intrinsic physical nature but from what it represents

— intellectual property \ ˌin-​tə-​ˈlek-​chə-​wəl-​ \

: property that derives from the work of the mind or intellect

specifically : an idea, invention, trade secret, process, program, data, formula, patent, copyright, or trademark or application, right, or registration relating thereto

— lost property

: property that has been left in an unknown location involuntarily but through no one's fault

Note: The finder of lost property has title to the property against all the world except the true owner.

— marital property

: property acquired by either spouse during the course of a marriage that is subject to division upon divorce see also antenuptial agreement

Note: In most states, upon divorce marital property is divided according to what the court determines is equitable.

— movable property

: property (as personal property or crops) that can be moved

— personal property

: property (as a vehicle) that is movable but not including crops or other resources still attached to land : property other than real property

a tax on the personal property of the corporation

: property belonging to a particular person

— qualified terminable interest property

: property passing to a surviving spouse that qualifies for the marital deduction if the executor so elects providing that the spouse is entitled to receive income in payments made at least annually for life and that no one has a power to appoint any part of the property to any person other than the surviving spouse see also QTIP trust at trust

Note: Under federal tax law the property must be included in the gross estate of the surviving spouse at his or her own death, where it is subject to taxation.

— real property

: property consisting of land, buildings, crops, or other resources still attached to or within the land or improvements or fixtures permanently attached to the land or a structure on it

also : an interest, benefit, right, or privilege in such property

called also immovable property

— separate property

: property of a spouse that is not community property or marital property

especially : property acquired by a spouse before marriage or individually during marriage (as by gift or often by inheritance)

— tangible property

: property that has a tangible and corporeal existence and intrinsic economic value because of it

the insurance policy restricted property damage coverage to tangible property

compare intangible property in this entry

2

: one or more rights of ownership

Etymology

Anglo-French propreté, proprieté, from Latin proprietat-, proprietas, from proprius own, particular