investment

American  

[in-vest-muhnt] / ɪnˈvɛst mənt /

noun

• investments
  plural

1. the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

2. a particular instance or mode of investing.

3. a thing invested in, as a business, a quantity of shares of stock, etc.

4. something that is invested; sum invested.

5. the act or fact of investing or state of being invested, as with a garment.

6. a devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, emotional energy, etc., as for a purpose or to achieve something.

   His investment in the project included more time than he cared to remember.

7. Biology. any covering, coating, outer layer, or integument, as of an animal or vegetable.

8. the act of investing with a quality, attribute, etc.

9. investiture with an office, dignity, or right.

10. a siege or blockade; the surrounding of a place with military forces or works, as in besieging.

11. Also called investment compound.  Metallurgy. a refractory material applied in a plastic state to a pattern to make a mold.

12. Archaic. a garment or vestment.

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investment British  

/ ɪnˈvɛstmənt /

noun

1. 1. the act of investing money

   2. the amount invested

   3. an enterprise, asset, etc, in which money is or can be invested

2. 1. the act of investing effort, resources, etc

   2. the amount invested

3. economics the amount by which the stock of capital (plant, machinery, materials, etc) in an enterprise or economy changes

4. biology the outer layer or covering of an organ, part, or organism

5. a less common word for investiture

6. the act of investing or state of being invested, as with an official robe, a specific quality, etc

7. rare the act of besieging with military forces, works, etc

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investment Cultural  

1. The purchase of property with the expectation that its value will increase over time.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreinvestment
  noun
• overinvestment
  noun
• preinvestment
  noun
• reinvestment
  noun
• proinvestment
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• investments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of investment

First recorded in 1590–1600 investment for def. 12; 1605–15 investment for def. 1; invest + -ment

Explanation

You are making an investment when you put money into a business with the hopes that the business will grow and bring you a profit. Many consider a college education to be one of the best investments you can make. Besides money, you can put time, effort or emotional support into something and also call it an investment. Volunteering in an organization requires an investment of time and energy. You may hear someone say, "We must make an investment in the future of our children," when he or she is pleading for fiscal responsibility, education, environmental protection or some other cause that will affect the success of future generations.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

investment investments

It first partnered with Callaway in 2023, and last year Good Good received a $45 million investment to expand its business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

I’m grateful for what my parents have given me, but I feel shoehorned into an investment strategy that may no longer fit my circumstances.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

It now falls to him to find the money to fund the defence investment plan, with an extra £4.7bn needed in the Budget.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Last November, the Texas governor had proudly declared his state the “epicenter of AI development” when he announced a $40 billion investment with Google.

From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026

Inevitably, their attention turned to the beating heart of capitalism, the big Wall Street investment banks.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

And yes, both will suggest investments that will charge fees.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

Turning these into productive oil fields would take billions of dollars in investments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The team is also working with Eyelumina,a spin-off company in formation to secure investments that support translational development and future clinical trials.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Beijing denies it is violating Tibetans' rights, and points to the heavy investments it has made in the region to boost tourism and integrate it with the rest of the country.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

A financial customer might be reasonably familiar with the world of investments and still have to puzzle over what a company brochure means by “capital changes and rights.”

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• asset
• contribution
• expenditure
• expense
• finance
• financing
• grant
• loan
• money
• property
• purchase
• stake
• transaction
• venture