capital

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Capital is any asset used for a productive purpose. It can include tangible items, such as cash or machinery, or intangible items, such as intellectual property or human capital. 

Capital can also refer to ways a company finances their operations, i.e. by debt capital or equity capital. The mix of debt and equity a company uses to finance their business is referred to as a company’s capital structure. 

[Last updated in December of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]