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

Cuba, already corrupt, will have to avoid becoming even more so when American investment pours in.

From The Daily Beast

“We make a vast investment in these casks,” says Stuart MacPherson, the aforementioned wood master.

From The Daily Beast

All of that required an upfront investment from Nataly and me.

From The Daily Beast

We knew it would be an expensive endeavor, and we still chose to make the investment.

From The Daily Beast

Which is bad, because we all have an investment in making college affordable and accessible to everyone.

From The Daily Beast

Contract with the Seaboard folks makes it look like it would pay eighteen, twenty per cent on the investment, maybe more.

From Project Gutenberg

I been a-lookin' after that investment f'r you—and f'r these other dum fools in town.

From Project Gutenberg

The battle was immediately followed by the investment of Boston by the American militia.

From Project Gutenberg

But we will call it $1,000, and let the rest go as interest on the investment represented by seeds and implements.

From Project Gutenberg

It was as though Monsieur Guillaume had looked to a good investment, even in the purchase of a candlestick.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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