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

He said Athora’s relationship with Apollo, its co-owner, will give Pension Insurance Corporation access to private-credit assets that the American investment giant churns out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Nvidia describes its hardware as an investment with the “lowest token cost, highest revenue and longest life.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Both those sectors have seen significant consolidation and investment over the past decade.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Michael Alen-Buckley is a co-founder of London-based private investment firm RAB Capital.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

He’d sent Eisman his company’s financial statements and then followed, with an interpreter, to solicit Eisman’s investment.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

While other Big Tech companies have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on AI investments, Apple has chosen to wait and see instead of rushing to adopt new technology.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Corporate bond issuance has been on a tear this year, driven in large part by megasize deals from hyperscalers looking to finance AI investments, including with long-dated bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The giant US retailer steered much of the benefit from US tariff refunds towards investments to attract inflation-strapped customers, who faced gasoline prices above $4 a gallon for much of the quarter.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Another, known as SC handed over more than £30,000 when Gibson claimed he could make substantial returns through investments and trading.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Had I ever questioned Princeton's investments in South Africa or whether more could be done to recruit minority students?

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

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