capital

KAP-ih-tl

meaning in plain English

Things that are already built and can be used to make other things or help a business run, like tools or buildings.

Picture a factory full of tools and buildings – that's capital, the stuff you already have to build more things.

for example

The company used its profits to buy more capital like trucks and computers.

Imagine you're starting a lemonade stand. The pitcher, cups, and the stand itself are your capital—they’re the things you already have to help you sell lemonade. Without them, you’d have nothing to work with.