1. Legal Ownership: This is the most common meaning of "property." It refers to the legal right to possess, use, and dispose of something, whether it's tangible (like land, a car, or a house) or intangible (like intellectual property, copyrights, or patents).
2. A Thing Owned: This is a more general meaning, simply referring to something that is owned by someone. For example, "My property includes a house, a car, and some jewelry."
3. A Characteristic: In some cases, "property" can describe a characteristic or quality of something. For example, "The property of water is that it boils at 100 degrees Celsius."
4. Real Estate: This is a specific type of property that refers to land and anything permanently attached to it, like buildings, fences, and landscaping.
5. In Theatre: In theater, "prop" is short for "property" and refers to an object used on stage by actors during a performance.
Examples:
* "The government is responsible for protecting citizens' property." (Legal ownership)
* "I lost all of my property in the fire." (Things owned)
* "A key property of diamonds is their hardness." (Characteristic)
* "The real estate market is booming." (Real estate)
* "The actor forgot his prop and had to improvise." (Theater)
It's important to consider the context in which "property" is used to determine the intended meaning.