interest
Americannoun
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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.
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something that concerns, involves, draws the attention of, or arouses the curiosity of a person.
His interests are philosophy and chess.
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power of exciting such concern, involvement, etc.; quality of being interesting.
political issues of great interest.
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a matter of primary interest.
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a business, cause, or the like in which a person has a share, concern, responsibility, etc.
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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.
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a participation in or concern for a cause, advantage, responsibility, etc.
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a number or group of persons, or a party, financially interested in the same business, industry, or enterprise.
the banking interest.
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interests, the group of persons or organizations having extensive financial or business power.
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the state of being affected by something in respect to advantage or detriment.
We need an arbiter who is without interest in the outcome.
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to have one's own interest in mind.
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regard for one's own advantage or profit; self-interest.
The partnership dissolved because of their conflicting interests.
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influence from personal importance or capability; power of influencing the action of others.
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Finance.
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a sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money.
If I won the lottery, I would invest the money, quit working and live off the interest.
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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)
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to engage or excite the attention or curiosity of.
Mystery stories interested him greatly.
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to concern (a person, nation, etc.) in something; involve.
The fight for peace interests all nations.
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to cause to take a personal concern or share; induce to participate.
to interest a person in an enterprise.
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to cause to be concerned; affect.
idioms
noun
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the sense of curiosity about or concern with something or someone
an interest in butterflies
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the power of stimulating such a sense
to have great interest
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the quality of such stimulation
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something in which one is interested; a hobby or pursuit
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(often plural) benefit; advantage
in one's own interest
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(often plural)
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a right, share, or claim, esp in a business or property
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the business, property, etc, in which a person has such concern
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a charge for the use of credit or borrowed money
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such a charge expressed as a percentage per time unit of the sum borrowed or used
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(often plural) a section of a community, etc, whose members have common aims
we must not offend the landed interest
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to make known one's connection, esp a prejudicial connection, with an affair
verb
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to arouse or excite the curiosity or concern of
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to cause to become involved in something; concern
Other Word Forms
- overinterest noun
- preinterest noun
- reinterest noun
Etymology
Origin of interest
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English noun interest, intrest, entrest “legal claim or right,” from Medieval Latin, Latin interest “it concerns,” literally, “it is between,” replacing the Medieval Latin infinitive interesse, used as a noun, from Latin; inter-, esse
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.
The move came days after Gail Slater, the Justice Department’s antitrust chief, was bounced from her job, reportedly after becoming a thorn in the side of some business interests.
From Los Angeles Times
There is keen interest in whether Kim might use the congress to soften this stance, or double down.
From Barron's
The Federal Reserve may have lowered the target range for the federal funds rate three times over the past year, but there are signs that Americans are still struggling with high interest rates.
From Barron's
Given that uncertainty, and the possibility that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later in the year and in 2027, Kelly sees more pressure on the dollar.
From Barron's
“It’s interesting that even these bad guys, if you want to call them that, are pretty careful about not hurting people.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
