vested
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of vested
Explanation
If you have a vested interest in something, you have a personal stake in its success. You have a vested interest in your science project — if your invention works, you could be rich and famous. Vested can also refer to something assigned to you. When a minister says "by the power vested in me by the State of Ohio, I now pronounce you husband and wife," he's referring to the legal authority he’s been given to marry people. Vested can also be a financial term. If you’re vested in your company's pension plan after working there 5 years, then even if you quit at 5 years, that pension money is yours to take with you.
Vocabulary lists containing vested
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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Marbury v. Madison (1803)
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Eyes Wide Open
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Daniel Kokotajlo, who forfeited roughly $2 million in vested equity rather than sign a non-disparagement agreement and stay quiet.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
While he can’t sell his supervoting shares, he can pass vested shares and their voting power to family members, including his children.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Musk controls more than 700 million shares of Tesla stock, including vested options from his 2018 pay award, worth some $300 billion.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
And the fact it came so late in a tense, high-stakes game made the wait near unbearable for those with a vested interest.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Then he puts a finger to my moonstone badge and says, “By the power vested in me as a training agent, I promote you, Amari Peters, to Junior Agent.”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
