interest

[ in-ter-ist, -trist ]

/ ˈɪn tər ɪst, -trɪst /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR interest ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the feeling of a person whose attention, concern, or curiosity is particularly engaged by something: She has a great interest in the poetry of Donne.

something that concerns, involves, draws the attention of, or arouses the curiosity of a person: His interests are philosophy and chess.

power of exciting such concern, involvement, etc.; quality of being interesting: political issues of great interest.

concern; importance: a matter of primary interest.

a business, cause, or the like in which a person has a share, concern, responsibility, etc.

a share, right, or title in the ownership of property, in a commercial or financial undertaking, or the like: He bought half an interest in the store.

a participation in or concern for a cause, advantage, responsibility, etc.

a number or group of persons, or a party, financially interested in the same business, industry, or enterprise: the banking interest.

interests, the group of persons or organizations having extensive financial or business power.

the state of being affected by something in respect to advantage or detriment: We need an arbiter who is without interest in the outcome.

benefit; advantage: to have one's own interest in mind.

regard for one's own advantage or profit; self-interest: The partnership dissolved because of their conflicting interests.

influence from personal importance or capability; power of influencing the action of others.

Finance.

a sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money.
such a sum expressed as a percentage of money borrowed to be paid over a given period, usually one year.

something added or thrown in above an exact equivalent: Jones paid him back with a left hook and added a right uppercut for interest.

verb (used with object)

to engage or excite the attention or curiosity of: Mystery stories interested him greatly.

to concern (a person, nation, etc.) in something; involve: The fight for peace interests all nations.

to cause to take a personal concern or share; induce to participate: to interest a person in an enterprise.

to cause to be concerned; affect.

Idioms for interest

in the interest(s) of, to the advantage or advancement of; in behalf of: in the interests of good government.

Origin of interest

1225–75; (noun) Middle English < Medieval Latin, Latin: it concerns, literally, it is between; replacing interesse < Medieval Latin, Latin: to concern, literally, to be between; (v.) earlier interess as v. use of the noun; see inter-, esse

OTHER WORDS FROM interest

o·ver·in·ter·est, noun pre·in·ter·est, noun, verb re·in·ter·est, noun, verb (used with object)

Words nearby interest

interdigit, interdigitate, interdigitating cell, interdigitation, interdisciplinary, interest, interest group, interest rate, interest-rate futures, interested, interesterification

Example sentences from the Web for interests

Is it any wonder that the interests of large corporations and unions get to the front of the line?

The 100 Rich People Who Run America |Mark McKinnon |January 5, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
“The threat streams to U.S. interests and Western interests are off the chart,” he said.

ISIS Fight Has a Spy Shortage, Intel Chair Says |Kimberly Dozier |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
If few of the above studies seem relevant to your interests, then congratulations!

Was 2014 the Year Science Discovered The Female Orgasm? |Samantha Allen |December 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
However, he saw the overlap of interests as being horribly negative.

Arabs Are the Michael Browns of Israel |Dean Obeidallah |December 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Cormac McCarthy once said that a novel can “encompass all the various disciplines and interests of humanity.”

The Birth of the Novel |Nick Romeo |November 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And this must be true always where our interests are truly Christian interests.

Our Lady Saint Mary |J. G. H. Barry
To protect his own interests Prescott decided to make an abridgment of his own, and thus to forestall the pirate.

William Hickling Prescott |Harry Thurston Peck
I am assuming, of course, that the company knows its own interests just as well as you and your fellow workmen know yours.

The Common Sense of Socialism |John Spargo
He was a strong, robust man in the prime of life, with a profession and hosts of acquaintances to help on his interests.

Southern Hearts |Florence Hull Winterburn
Khush-newaz should take to wife one of his daughters, and thus unite the interests of the two reigning families.

The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 7. (of 7): The Sassanian or New Persian Empire |George Rawlinson

British Dictionary definitions for interests

interest

/ (ˈɪntrɪst, -tərɪst) /

noun

the sense of curiosity about or concern with something or someone an interest in butterflies

the power of stimulating such a sense to have great interest

the quality of such stimulation

something in which one is interested; a hobby or pursuit

(often plural) benefit; advantage in one's own interest

(often plural)

a right, share, or claim, esp in a business or property
the business, property, etc, in which a person has such concern

a charge for the use of credit or borrowed money
such a charge expressed as a percentage per time unit of the sum borrowed or used

(often plural) a section of a community, etc, whose members have common aims we must not offend the landed interest

declare an interest to make known one's connection, esp a prejudicial connection, with an affair

verb (tr)

to arouse or excite the curiosity or concern of

to cause to become involved in something; concern

Word Origin for interest

C15: from Latin: it concerns, from interesse; from inter- + esse to be

Cultural definitions for interests

interest

The charge for borrowing money or the return for lending it.

Idioms and Phrases with interests

interest

see in one's interest; take an interest; vested interest; with interest.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

interest

noun

verb (used with object)

Idioms for interest

Origin of interest

OTHER WORDS FROM interest

Words nearby interest

Example sentences from the Web for interests

British Dictionary definitions for interests

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for interest

Cultural definitions for interests

Idioms and Phrases with interests

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

interest

noun

verb (used with object)

Idioms for interest

Origin of interest

OTHER WORDS FROM interest

Words nearby interest

Words related to interests

Example sentences from the Web for interests

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noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for interest

Cultural definitions for interests

Idioms and Phrases with interests

British Dictionary definitions for interests