interest

[ in-ter-ist, -trist ]

noun

1. the feeling of a person whose attention, concern, or curiosity is particularly engaged by something:

   She has a great interest in the poetry of Donne.

2. something that concerns, involves, draws the attention of, or arouses the curiosity of a person:

   His interests are philosophy and chess.

3. power of exciting such concern, involvement, etc.; quality of being interesting:

   political issues of great interest.

4. concern; importance:

   a matter of primary interest.

5. a business, cause, or the like in which a person has a share, concern, responsibility, etc.
6. a share, right, or title in the ownership of property, in a commercial or financial undertaking, or the like:

   He bought half an interest in the store.

7. a participation in or concern for a cause, advantage, responsibility, etc.
8. a number or group of persons, or a party, financially interested in the same business, industry, or enterprise:

   the banking interest.

9. interests, the group of persons or organizations having extensive financial or business power.
10. the state of being affected by something in respect to advantage or detriment:

    We need an arbiter who is without interest in the outcome.

11. benefit; advantage:

    to have one's own interest in mind.

12. regard for one's own advantage or profit; self-interest:

    The partnership dissolved because of their conflicting interests.

13. influence from personal importance or capability; power of influencing the action of others.
14. Finance.
    1. a sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money:

       If I won the lottery, I would invest the money, quit working and live off the interest.

    2. interest rate ( def 1 ).
15. something added or thrown in above an exact equivalent:

    Jones paid him back with a left hook and added a right uppercut for interest.

verb (used with object)

1. to engage or excite the attention or curiosity of:

   Mystery stories interested him greatly.

2. to concern (a person, nation, etc.) in something; involve:

   The fight for peace interests all nations.

3. to cause to take a personal concern or share; induce to participate:

   to interest a person in an enterprise.

4. to cause to be concerned; affect.

interest

/ -tərɪst; ˈɪntrɪst /

noun

1. the sense of curiosity about or concern with something or someone

   an interest in butterflies

2. the power of stimulating such a sense

   to have great interest

3. the quality of such stimulation
4. something in which one is interested; a hobby or pursuit
5. often plural benefit; advantage

   in one's own interest

6. often plural
   1. a right, share, or claim, esp in a business or property
   2. the business, property, etc, in which a person has such concern
7. 1. a charge for the use of credit or borrowed money
   2. such a charge expressed as a percentage per time unit of the sum borrowed or used
8. often plural a section of a community, etc, whose members have common aims

   we must not offend the landed interest

9. declare an interest
   to make known one's connection, esp a prejudicial connection, with an affair

verb

1. to arouse or excite the curiosity or concern of
2. to cause to become involved in something; concern

interest

1. The charge for borrowing money or the return for lending it.

Other Words From

• o·ver·in·ter·est noun
• pre·in·ter·est noun verb
• re·in·ter·est noun verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of interest¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English noun interest, intrest, entrest “legal claim or right,” from Medieval Latin, Latin interest “it concerns,” literally, “it is between,” replacing the Medieval Latin infinitive interesse, used as a noun, from Latin; inter-, esse

Word History and Origins

Origin of interest¹

C15: from Latin: it concerns, from interesse; from inter- + esse to be

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the interest(s) of, to the advantage or advancement of; in behalf of:

   in the interests of good government.

More idioms and phrases containing interest

see in one's interest ; take an interest ; vested interest ; with interest .

Example Sentences

“And to have this adult man that actually seemed interested in talking to me, it was intensely soothing. For the first time in my life, I felt just a little spark of hope.”

From Los Angeles Times

In order to gauge the NFL interest in Riley, and how it has been affected by his three seasons at USC, I reached out to two top-level team executives, one from each conference.

From Los Angeles Times

Commercial interest was never his main driver, he says.

From Science Magazine

Justice Owens warned the jury not to talk to anyone about their deliberations, including their loved ones who he said may be interested in the case.

From BBC

Carr recently said on X that he will ensure the FCC “will enforce” laws that call on broadcasters “to operate in the public interest.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• commitment
• earnings
• gain
• influence
• involvement
• participation
• right
• stake