invest
verb (used with object)
to put (money) to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.
had been investing
-
past perfect progressiveof invest.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
It had been investing money internationally and now is investing more locally.
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
A research analysis published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago found that life insurers had been investing more in “higher yielding, but more complex, private placements.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
Odood, a real estate agent from California who had been investing in mining in Mexico for a few years, entered the picture in 2015.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2025
The company was increasing its phone lines capacity and had been investing in staff resourcing and training, she said.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2023
"I don't care," Julian repeated to himself, when he recalled what his older companion, Jack Shelden, would have to say to him when he found that he had been investing in "old horse."
From The Haunted Mine by Harry Castlemon
