definitions

vested interest

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vested interest ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a special interest in an existing system, arrangement, or institution for particular personal reasons.
a permanent right given to an employee under a pension plan.
vested interests, the persons, groups, etc., who benefit the most from existing business or financial systems.

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RELATED WORDS

lobby

Nearby words

vestal, vestal virgin, vestal virgins, vestavia hills, vested, vested interest, vestee, vesterålen islands, vestiary, vestibular, vestibular canal

Origin of vested interest

First recorded in 1810–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for vested interest

vested interest

noun

property law an existing and disposable right to the immediate or future possession and enjoyment of property
a strong personal concern in a state of affairs, system, etc, usually resulting in private gain
a person or group that has such an interest
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for vested interest

vested interest

A phrase that indicates a deep personal (and possibly financial) interest in some political or economic proposal: “As a major stockholder of the Ford Motor Company, Senator Bilge had a vested interest in legislation restricting the import of Japanese autos.” The plural, vested interests, often refers to powerful, wealthy property holders: “His radical policies enraged vested interests.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with vested interest

vested interest

A personal stake in something, as in She has a vested interest in keeping the house in her name. This term, first recorded in 1818, uses vested in the sense of “established” or “secured.”

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.