invest
Americanverb (used with object)
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to put (money) to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.
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to use (money), as in accumulating something.
to invest large sums in books.
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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.
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to furnish with power, authority, rank, etc..
The Constitution invests the president with the power of veto.
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to furnish or endow with a power, right, etc.; vest.
Feudalism invested the lords with absolute authority over their vassals.
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to endow with a quality or characteristic.
to invest a friend with every virtue.
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to infuse or belong to, as a quality or characteristic.
Goodness invests his every action.
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Metallurgy. to surround (a pattern) with an investment.
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to provide with the insignia of office.
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to install in an office or position.
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to clothe, attire, or dress.
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to cover, adorn, or envelop.
Spring invests the trees with leaves.
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to surround (a place) with military forces or works so as to prevent approach or escape; besiege.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(often foll by in) to lay out (money or capital in an enterprise, esp by purchasing shares) with the expectation of profit
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to devote (effort, resources, etc, to a project)
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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
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to install formally or ceremoniously (in an official position, rank, etc)
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(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
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(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
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poetic to cover or adorn, as if with a coat or garment
when spring invests the trees with leaves
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rare (tr) to surround with military forces; besiege
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informal to purchase; buy
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing invest
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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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.
Also, invest my own personal time in people, not programs, because I do think technology is a beautiful way to start a revolution, to communicate with people, to educate yourself.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Those savings will be used to invest in the company’s “big bets” and otherwise flow toward improving margins, Aujla said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
“We invest in the whole package really at the same time, and they’ve all done well for us,” he added.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Some investors may be happy to lock in those gains given how difficult it has been to invest in energy in recent years.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
From White Mountains he extracted $600,000 for a smaller piece of his fund, plus a promise to send him $10 million to invest.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
