invest

American  

[in-vest] / ɪnˈvɛst /

verb (used with object)

invests, present (3rd person singular) invested, past participle, past investing present participle

1. to put (money) to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

2. to use (money), as in accumulating something.

   to invest large sums in books.

3. to use, give, or devote (time, talent, etc.), as for a purpose or to achieve something.

   He invested a lot of time in cleaning up the neighborhood after the flood.

4. to furnish with power, authority, rank, etc..

   The Constitution invests the president with the power of veto.

5. to furnish or endow with a power, right, etc.; vest.

   Feudalism invested the lords with absolute authority over their vassals.

6. to endow with a quality or characteristic.

   to invest a friend with every virtue.

7. to infuse or belong to, as a quality or characteristic.

   Goodness invests his every action.

8. Metallurgy. to surround (a pattern) with an investment.

9. to provide with the insignia of office.

10. to install in an office or position.

11. to clothe, attire, or dress.

12. to cover, adorn, or envelop.

    Spring invests the trees with leaves.

13. to surround (a place) with military forces or works so as to prevent approach or escape; besiege.

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verb (used without object)

invests, present (3rd person singular) invested, past participle, past investing present participle

1. to invest money; make an investment.

   to invest in oil stock.

invest British  

/ ɪnˈvɛst /

verb

1. (often foll by in) to lay out (money or capital in an enterprise, esp by purchasing shares) with the expectation of profit

2. to devote (effort, resources, etc, to a project)

3. archaic (tr; often foll by in or with) to clothe or adorn (in some garment, esp the robes of an office)

   to invest a king in the insignia of an emperor

4. to install formally or ceremoniously (in an official position, rank, etc)

5. (tr; foll by in or with) to place (power, authority, etc, in) or provide (with power or authority)

   to invest new rights in the monarchy

6. (tr; usually passive; foll by in or with) to provide or endow (a person with qualities, characteristics, etc)

   he was invested with great common sense

7. poetic to cover or adorn, as if with a coat or garment

   when spring invests the trees with leaves

8. rare (tr) to surround with military forces; besiege

9. informal to purchase; buy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• investor
  noun
• noninvestor
  noun
• overinvest
  verb
• preinvest
  verb (used with object)
• reinvest
  verb (used with object)
• underinvest
  verb (used without object)
• investable
  adjective
• underinvested
  adjective
• uninvested
  adjective
• well-invested
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• investing
  present
• invested
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• invest
  simple
• invests
  simple
• have invested
  perfect
• has invested
  perfect
• am investing
  progressive
• are investing
  progressive
• is investing
  progressive
• have been investing
  perfect progressive
• has been investing
  perfect progressive

Past

• invested
  simple
• had invested
  perfect
• was investing
  progressive
• were investing
  progressive
• had been investing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will invest
  simple
• will have invested
  perfect
• will be investing
  progressive
• will have been investing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of invest

First recorded in 1525–35; from Old Italian investire, from Medieval Latin investīre “to install, invest (money), surround, clothe in,” Latin: “to clothe, deck, adorn,” equivalent to in- prefix + vestīre “to clothe, dress,” derivative of vestis “clothes, garment”; see in- ², vest

Explanation

When you invest, you put time or money into something, hoping that there will be returns greater than what was originally put in. You commonly hear talk of investing money, but you can invest time in a project as well. You can invest your hopes or emotions in a person. The money, time, or hope is called the investment. Invest can also mean to endow with a power or quality. Laws invest police officers with abilities that regular citizens do not have. Invest originally meant to clothe. In fact, there is a room in some churches still called a vestry where priests get into their garb.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

invest invests invested investing

You could also invest your Social Security benefits if you claim at 67.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

"But this was also the first time people felt like they were able to invest in something that was being marketed as an AI play."

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

One of the most notable guests during that period was Apple CEO Tim Cook, who dodged 100% tariffs on semiconductor components by agreeing to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Spouses gain financial independence by not relying on their partner’s income and learning to save prudently and invest wisely.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

"Nor can we take it by siege, without an army on the far bank to invest the other castle," Helman Tallhart said gloomily.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Australia’s superannuation program invests those employer contributions into individual investment accounts, with the option for some employees to put in additional funds.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Meta Platforms Inc. is alerting thousands of employees that they’re being laid off, part of a previously announced restructuring aimed at reducing costs while the company invests heavily in artificial intelligence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Francis Gannon, a managing director at Royce Investment Partners who primarily invests in small-caps, noted that analysts project 54% earnings growth for companies in the Russell 2000 in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

Sport England also invests in the Active Partnerships network, external, which boosts free sporting and exercise activities in different areas.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

She thinks we’ll be rich one day, but she never invests any money.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake

With consistent contributions and the market’s gains, Yoon said she and her husband now have $10,000 invested.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Retirees who favor CDs might not have a lot invested in stocks or even have a brokerage account.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

He said the company had prepared for periods of prolonged dry weather and invested hundreds of millions each year "to build our region's resilience".

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Boeing invested $1 billion on the Everett upgrade.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

“And then somehow after they invested, they stopped reading them.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

And then they tested it, using a fixed investing strategy for each regime.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

His mom, Mi Jeong Yoon, was initially skeptical, because she didn’t know anything about investing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

"If by year-end more families have a clear on-ramp to begin saving and investing for their children's financial futures, that's success," he suggests.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

“California’s workers, entrepreneurs, and innovators continue to prove that investing in California delivers real results,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement last week in response to strong productivity numbers for the state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

This isn’t the sort of ride most investors enjoy, but it was, Burry thought, the essence of value investing.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• devote
• lend
• provide
• spend
• supply