in ‧ vest ‧ ment S2 W1 AC /ɪnˈvestmənt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ investment , ↑ investor ; verb : ↑ invest ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] the use of money to get a profit or to make a business activity successful, or the money that is used:
We plan to buy some property as an investment.
investment in
That year, Japanese investment in American real estate totaled $13.06 billion.
investment of
Each of us was required to put up a minimum investment of $5,000.
2 . [countable] something that you buy or do because it will be useful later
a good/sound investment
The lessons cost me over $500, but I consider them a good investment.
3 . [singular, uncountable] when you spend a large amount of time, energy, emotion etc on something:
a huge investment of time and effort
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1 )
■ verbs
▪ make an investment (in something)
We have made a huge investment in our website.
▪ attract investment
The company is trying to attract investment from overseas.
▪ stimulate/encourage investment
The government has cut taxes in order to stimulate investment.
▪ protect your investment
It's best to invest in several funds, in order to protect your investment.
▪ recoup your investment (=get back the money that you have invested )
Investors will have to take legal action to recoup their investment.
■ adjectives
▪ a good investment
Property is usually a good investment.
▪ a bad/poor investment
The shares turned out to be a poor investment.
▪ a big/major/massive/huge investment
Developing a new computer system is always a big investment for any organisation.
▪ a safe investment (=in which you are unlikely to lose money)
Electricity shares are still a safe investment.
▪ a wise investment (=very sensible)
A pension might be a wise investment.
▪ a risky investment (=in which you are likely to lose money)
Risky investments usually have higher yields.
▪ foreign/overseas investment
The government is eager to attract foreign investment to fund building projects.
▪ a long-term investment (=one that will give you profit after a long time)
Buying a house is a long-term investment.
▪ a short-term investment (=one that will give you profit in a short time)
Interest rates will be cut on short-term investments.
▪ private investment (=investment by private individuals)
Public expenditure in declining areas will attract future private investment.
▪ public investment (=investment by the government or state)
There have been drastic cuts in public investment in housing.
▪ capital investment (=investment in machines, equipment etc)
A huge capital investment will have to be made to maintain the buildings.
■ investment + NOUN
▪ an investment scheme British English , an investment program AmE:
Most investment schemes are subject to tax.
▪ an investment opportunity
She took advantage of a unique investment opportunity.
▪ an investment adviser
He has served as an investment adviser for several major banks.
▪ an investment banker
He is an investment banker at a prestigious Wall Street firm.
▪ investment income (=money that you earn from your investments)
The rate of taxation on investment income is set to increase.
▪ investment funds
The city is in a good position to attract new investment funds.
■ phrases
▪ the (rate of) return on an investment (=profit from an investment)
We expect a high return on our investment.