interest
- 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.
- something that concerns, involves, draws the attention of, or arouses the curiosity of a person: His interests are philosophy and chess.
- power of exciting such concern, involvement, etc.; quality of being interesting: political issues of great interest.
- concern; importance: a matter of primary interest.
- a business, cause, or the like in which a person has a share, concern, responsibility, etc.
- 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.
- a participation in or concern for a cause, advantage, responsibility, etc.
- a number or group of persons, or a party, financially interested in the same business, industry, or enterprise: the banking interest.
- interests, the group of persons or organizations having extensive financial or business power.
- the state of being affected by something in respect to advantage or detriment: We need an arbiter who is without interest in the outcome.
- benefit; advantage: to have one's own interest in mind.
- regard for one's own advantage or profit; self-interest: The partnership dissolved because of their conflicting interests.
- influence from personal importance or capability; power of influencing the action of others.
- Finance.
- a sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money.
- such a sum expressed as a percentage of money borrowed to be paid over a given period, usually one year.
- something added or thrown in above an exact equivalent: Jones paid him back with a left hook and added a right uppercut for interest.
- to engage or excite the attention or curiosity of: Mystery stories interested him greatly.
- to concern (a person, nation, etc.) in something; involve: The fight for peace interests all nations.
- to cause to take a personal concern or share; induce to participate: to interest a person in an enterprise.
- to cause to be concerned; affect.
- in the interest(s) of, to the advantage or advancement of; in behalf of: in the interests of good government.
Origin of interest
interest
- the sense of curiosity about or concern with something or someonean interest in butterflies
- the power of stimulating such a senseto have great interest
- the quality of such stimulation
- something in which one is interested; a hobby or pursuit
- (often plural) benefit; advantagein one's own interest
- (often plural)
- a right, share, or claim, esp in a business or property
- the business, property, etc, in which a person has such concern
- a charge for the use of credit or borrowed money
- such a charge expressed as a percentage per time unit of the sum borrowed or used
- (often plural) a section of a community, etc, whose members have common aimswe must not offend the landed interest
- declare an interest to make known one's connection, esp a prejudicial connection, with an affair
- to arouse or excite the curiosity or concern of
- to cause to become involved in something; concern
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for in the interest of
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.
interest
The charge for borrowing money or the return for lending it.
Idioms and Phrases with in the interest of
in the interest of
see in one's interest.
interest
see in one's interest; take an interest; vested interest; with interest.