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
Peter H. DiamandisIn 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
Edward L. GlaeserAll 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.
Denis P. Doyle et al.Examples of human capital in a Sentence
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One factor was investments in human capital, coupled with prudent economic policies.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Neoliberalism wants atomization, managing our own human capital.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
All possess what economists would describe as unusually valuable human capital.
—Mark Mitchell, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The stock of human capital in the workforce just gets worse.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
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Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Neoliberalism wants atomization, managing our own human capital.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
All possess what economists would describe as unusually valuable human capital.
—Mark Mitchell, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The stock of human capital in the workforce just gets worse.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for human capital
Cite this Entry
“Human capital.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20capital. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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