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interested

[in-ter-uh-stid, -truh-stid, -tuh-res-tid] /ˈɪn tər ə stɪd, -trə stɪd, -təˌrɛs tɪd/
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adjective
1.
having an interest in something; concerned:
Interested members will meet at noon.
2.
having the attention or curiosity engaged:
an interested spectator.
3.
characterized by a feeling of interest.
4.
influenced by personal or selfish motives:
an interested witness.
5.
participating; having an interest or share; having money involved.
Origin of interested
1655-1665
1655-65; interest + -ed3 or -ed2
Related forms
interestedly, adverb
interestedness, noun
overinterested, adjective
overinterestedly, adverb
overinterestedness, noun
quasi-interested, adjective
quasi-interestedly, adverb
well-interested, adjective

interest

[in-ter-ist, -trist] /ˈɪn tər ɪst, -trɪst/
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.
  2. such a sum expressed as a percentage of money borrowed to be paid over a given period, usually one year.
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)
16.
to engage or excite the attention or curiosity of:
Mystery stories interested him greatly.
17.
to concern (a person, nation, etc.) in something; involve:
The fight for peace interests all nations.
18.
to cause to take a personal concern or share; induce to participate:
to interest a person in an enterprise.
19.
to cause to be concerned; affect.
Idioms
20.
in the interest(s) of, to the advantage or advancement of; in behalf of:
in the interests of good government.
Origin
1225-75; (noun) Middle English < Medieval Latin, Latin: it concerns, literally, it is between; replacing interesse < Medieval Latin, Latin: to concern, literally, to be between; (v.) earlier interess as v. use of the noun; see inter-, esse
Related forms
overinterest, noun
preinterest, noun, verb
reinterest, noun, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
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Examples from the Web for interested
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples

  • Man's nature makes it imperative for him to be interested in something.

    Evening Round Up William Crosbie Hunter

  • I shall be interested in getting your ideas along this line.

    Still Jim Honor Willsie Morrow

  • Your observations on the branchiae and heart have interested me extremely.

    More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II Charles Darwin

  • He was as interested in details of the life on the Project as a boy of fifteen.

    Still Jim Honor Willsie Morrow

  • I guess it was because I was interested in the story and wasn't trying to learn it.

    Carl and the Cotton Gin Sara Ware Bassett
British Dictionary definitions for interested

interested

/ˈɪntrɪstɪd; -tərɪs-/
adjective
1.
showing or having interest
2.
(usually prenominal) personally involved or implicated: the interested parties met to discuss the business
Derived Forms
interestedly, adverb
interestedness, noun

interest

/ˈɪntrɪst; -tərɪst/
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 pl) benefit; advantage: in one's own interest
6.
(often pl)
  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 pl) 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 (transitive)
10.
to arouse or excite the curiosity or concern of
11.
to cause to become involved in something; concern
Word Origin
C15: from Latin: it concerns, from interesse; from inter- + esse to be
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for interested
adj.

"motivated by self-interest," 1705; "having an interest or stake (in something);" from past participle of interest (v.).

interest

v.

"to cause to be interested," c.1600, earlier interesse (1560s), from the noun (see interest (n.)). Perhaps also from or influenced by interess'd, past participle of interesse.

interest

n.

mid-15c., "legal claim or right; concern; benefit, advantage;" earlier interesse (late 14c.), from Anglo-French interesse "what one has a legal concern in," from Medieval Latin interesse "compensation for loss," noun use of Latin interresse "to concern, make a difference, be of importance," literally "to be between," from inter- "between" (see inter-) + esse "to be" (see essence).

Cf. German Interesse, from the same Medieval Latin source. Form in English influenced 15c. by French interest "damage," from Latin interest "it is of importance, it makes a difference," third person singular present of interresse. Financial sense of "money paid for the use of money lent" (1520s) earlier was distinguished from usury (illegal under Church law) by being in reference to "compensation due from a defaulting debtor." Meaning "curiosity" is first attested 1771. Interest group is attested from 1907; interest rate by 1868.

v.

"to cause to be interested," c.1600, earlier interesse (1560s), from the noun (see interest (n.)). Perhaps also from or influenced by interess'd, past participle of interesse.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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interested in Culture

interest definition


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

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Idioms and Phrases with interested

interest

see:
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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