chattel
5 synonyms and 2 antonyms for chattel, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — An item of movable personal property, such as furniture, livestock or a vehicle, as distinct from land and buildings.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
real property
realty
How to use chattel
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
goods and chattels
chattel mortgage
chattel slavery
fixtures and chattels
personal chattels
Mainly legal and financial; in everyday speech it survives chiefly in the phrase goods and chattels and in chattel slavery.
Etymology
From Old French chatel meaning property or goods, from Latin capitale, capital; it is a doublet of both cattle and capital.
Full origin of chattel →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a chattel and a fixture?
A chattel is movable and stays with the owner, while a fixture is attached to the building and passes with it on sale. A free-standing cooker is a chattel; a fitted kitchen is a fixture.
What does chattel slavery mean?
It is a system in which enslaved people were legally owned as property, could be bought, sold and inherited, and their children were born into the same status. It contrasts with forms of bondage tied to debt or to a particular piece of land.
Is chattel related to cattle?
Yes. Both descend from Latin capitale meaning wealth, and cattle originally meant property of any kind before narrowing to livestock.
