I. ˈin.trə̇st also ˈintərə̇st or ˈintəˌrest or ˈintərst sometimes ˈin.ˌtrest noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, probably alteration of earlier interesse, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French interesse, from Medieval Latin, legal interest, compensation, interest on money, from Latin, to concern, be of importance, from inter- + esse to be; influenced by Middle French interest damage, loss, compensation for damage, from Old French, damage, loss, from Latin, it concerns, is of importance, 3d person singular present indicative of interesse — more at is
1.
a. : right, title, or legal share in something
what exactly is your interest in this affair
: participation in advantage, profit, and responsibility
half interest in a hardware business
offered to buy out his interest in the company
: stake , claim
b. : something in which one has a share of ownership or control : business
has interests all over the world
c. obsolete : a share in producing a total effect or result
2.
a. : the state of being concerned or affected especially with respect to advantage or well-being : good , benefit , profit
engaged a lawyer to look after his interests
acting always in his own interest
each faction made concessions in the common interest
speed laws passed in the interest of safety
specifically : self-interest
sacrifice of personal interest by men who believed in the job they were doing — T.W.Arnold
distinguish fact from fiction … interest from impartiality — Elmer Davis
b. : something that is the object of desire
natural interest in seeing his children well educated
3.
a. : the price paid for borrowing money generally expressed as a percentage of the amount borrowed paid in one year
interest on a loan
interest on a bond
— see compound interest , simple interest
b. : the money so paid
interest on certain indebtedness is deductible from taxable income
c. : the share received by capital from the product of industry as distinguished from rent and profit and wages — see pure interest
4. : an excess over and above an exact equivalent
returned the insults with interest
5. : the power of influencing
interest with the boss
6.
a. : the persons effectively controlling an enterprise or dominating a field of activity
landed interest
iron interest
banking interest
Protestant interest
b. interests plural : the dominating group of owners in a field of business, industry, or finance considered locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally ; sometimes : big business
7.
a. : a feeling that accompanies or causes special attention to some object : curiosity , concern
took a lively interest in the divorce proceedings in court
lifelong interest in sports
interest in arctic exploration
interest in child welfare
b. : readiness to attend to and be stirred by a certain class of objects
testing the aptitudes, interests, emotions of the patient
c. : something that causes or arouses curiosity or concern
campaign of great intrinsic interest to military students
question of great philosophic interest
8.
a. obsolete : injury
b. obsolete : compensation for injury : damages
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to cause to share or participate
this holding company through which the public is interested in the Emperor mine — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
2. : to involve the interest or welfare of : affect , concern — used with in
interested herself exuberantly in the progress of the political campaign — Robert Grant †1940
thanked those who had interested themselves in his behalf
3. : to cause or induce to have a share or interest : persuade to participate or engage
city authorities began to interest themselves in the parking problem
interest a banker in a loan
can I interest you in a game of bridge
4. : to engage or attract the attention of : arouse interest in
would find some picture that interested him, in an old magazine — Floyd Dell
offer a market that ought to interest any businessman — Andrew Boyd
III. noun
: the profit in goods or money that is made on invested capital