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

What’s less obvious is that companies and organizations simultaneously struggle to recognize and take advantage of changes in human capital. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025

In the trinity of factors that Miller identified in his Senate testimony for maintaining AI leadership —computing power, brain power, and electrical power — human capital isn’t his only worry. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025

To realize these objectives, Beijing has spent years—in most cases decades—marshaling an extraordinary level of state and private resources, developing human capital, trying to capture existing institutions, and developing new ones. —Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2025

Calling for fewer disclosures at a time when global markets require more information about supply-chain resilience, climate risk, artificial intelligence governance, political spending, cybersecurity, and human capital — is a step backward. —Andrew Behar, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for human capital

• capitol
• noncapital