investment

[in-vest-muhnt]

noun

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.

investment

/ 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

investment

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of investment¹

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

Example Sentences

Some came hunting for rare investment pieces, others simply to hold history in their hands.

From Los Angeles Times

Soon after, an agency called her to discuss a possible job with a cruise company and Judy thought the investment was paying off.

From BBC

They handed over their money in good faith, but when no bag or sign of any money from the investment opportunity arose, they would begin to ask for their money back.

From BBC

"They say everything will be fine and that there will be billions of euros of investment, new roads and trade with Iran, America, Europe, Turkey and Azerbaijan," Marut Vanyan says with an incredulous smile.

From BBC

Prof Cole says Wales could have a system like the Dutch one, but that ministers down the years have not been prepared for the investment that would need.

From BBC

Related Words

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