human capital

noun

: the skills, knowledge, and qualifications of a person, group, or workforce considered as economic assets

Nothing is more important to a company, nation, or individual than intelligence. It is the fundamental key to problem-solving and wealth creation, and underpins the human capital that drives every company and nation forward.

—Peter H. Diamandis

In fact, the evidence suggests that public investments in human capital, including higher education, yield long-term economic rates of return that far exceed most standard investments in technology or capital.

—Edward L. Glaeser

All of this coincided with the emergence in academe of the idea of "human capital": the notion that the more skilled the work force, the more productive it tends to be.

—Denis P. Doyle et al.

Examples of human capital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Certainly, the company is structured not just as an ERP provider, but also as specialist in field service management, enterprise asset management and human capital management with manufacturing project management functions manifesting themselves across its platform toolset. —Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

In automation, where successful integration can free up valuable human capital in every field, China has a commanding foothold. —Nick Mordowanec mandy Taheri john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025

Kiew has over 15 years of experience in organizational strategy and human capital transformation. —William Jones, USA Today, 3 May 2025

The business side wants dollars and cents and efficiencies, great machines made up of human capital and intellectual property to create the value that everyone along the way taps into to pay for those Hamptons summers. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 13 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for human capital

• capitol
• noncapital