investment

[ in-vest-muhnt ]

noun

1. the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.
2. a particular instance or mode of investing.
3. a thing invested in, as a business, a quantity of shares of stock, etc.
4. something that is invested; sum invested.
5. the act or fact of investing or state of being invested, as with a garment.
6. a devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, emotional energy, etc., as for a purpose or to achieve something:

   His investment in the project included more time than he cared to remember.

7. Biology. any covering, coating, outer layer, or integument, as of an animal or vegetable.
8. the act of investing with a quality, attribute, etc.
9. investiture with an office, dignity, or right.
10. a siege or blockade; the surrounding of a place with military forces or works, as in besieging.
11. Also called investment compound. Metallurgy. a refractory material applied in a plastic state to a pattern to make a mold.
12. Archaic. a garment or vestment.

investment

/ ɪnˈvɛstmənt /

noun

1. 1. the act of investing money
   2. the amount invested
   3. an enterprise, asset, etc, in which money is or can be invested
2. 1. the act of investing effort, resources, etc
   2. the amount invested
3. economics the amount by which the stock of capital (plant, machinery, materials, etc) in an enterprise or economy changes
4. biology the outer layer or covering of an organ, part, or organism
5. a less common word for investiture
6. the act of investing or state of being invested, as with an official robe, a specific quality, etc
7. rare.
   the act of besieging with military forces, works, etc

investment

1. The purchase of property with the expectation that its value will increase over time.

Other Words From

• non·re·in·vest·ment noun
• o·ver·in·vest·ment noun
• pre·in·vest·ment noun
• pro·in·vest·ment adjective
• re·in·vest·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of investment¹

First recorded in 1590–1600 investment fordef 12; 1605–15 investment fordef 1; invest + -ment

Example Sentences

"Without that guaranteed level of capital investment, the building does not have a long-term future," a statement said.

From BBC

And the Catholic Church’s influence in Kenya goes beyond its congregation owing to its wide investment in education, healthcare and other social programmes.

From BBC

It told a hearing of Stormont's infrastructure committee that 8,500 homes are being held back, which it said is around £1bn in investment.

From BBC

Jane Steel, who bought a one-bedroom flat in Milton Keynes as an investment for her family, is another leaseholder who has told the BBC of her dissatisfaction with Eagerstates.

From BBC

Advance Auto Parts closed a $1.5-billion sale of Worldpac, its car parts wholesale distribution business, to investment firm Carlyle this month.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• asset
• contribution
• expenditure
• expense
• finance
• financing
• grant
• loan
• money
• property
• purchase
• stake
• transaction
• venture