English
interest
Etymology

From Middle English interest, from Old French interesse and interest (French intérêt), from Medieval Latin intersum, from Latin intersum.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈɪntəɹɪst/, /ˈɪntɹɪst/, /ˈɪntɹɛst/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈɪntəɹəst/, /ˈɪntɹəst/, /ˈɪntəɹɛst/, /ˈɪntɹɛst/, /ˈɪntəɹst/
Noun

interest (uncountable)

  1. (uncountable, finance) The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed. [from earlier 16th c.]
    Our bank offers borrowers an annual interest of 5%.
  2. (uncountable, finance) Any excess over and above an exact equivalent
    • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene iii]:
      You shall have your desires with interest
  3. (uncountable) A great attention and concern from someone or something; intellectual curiosity. [from later 18th c.]
    He has a lot of interest in vintage cars.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗:
      The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC ↗:
      Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ and if you don't look out there's likely to be some nice, lively dog taking an interest in your underpinning.”
  4. (uncountable) Attention that is given to or received from someone or something.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:
      […] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.
  5. (countable) An involvement, claim, right, share, stake in or link with a financial, business, or other undertaking or endeavor.
    When scientists and doctors write articles and when politicians run for office, they are required in many countries to declare any existing conflicts of interest (competing interests).
    I have business interests in South Africa.
    She has an interest in the proceedings, and all stakeholders' interests must be protected.
  6. (countable) Something which, or someone whom, one is interested in.
    Lexicography is one of my interests.
    Victorian furniture is an interest of mine.
    The main character's romantic interest will be played by a non-professional actor.
  7. (uncountable) Condition or quality of exciting concern or being of importance.
  8. (obsolete, rare) Injury, or compensation for injury; damages.
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC ↗:
      How can this infinite beauty, power and goodnes admit any correspondencie or similitude with a thing so base and abject as we are, without extreme interest and manifest derogation from his divine greatnesse?
  9. (usually, in the plural) The persons interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively.
    Coordinate terms: industry, trust, syndicate
    the iron interest;  the cotton interest
  10. (historical, usually, attributive) a genre of factual short films, generally more amusing than informative, especially those not covered by a more specific genre label
    • 1921 Davidson Boughey, The Film Industry (London : Sir Isaac Pitman) p. 76 ↗
      By interest films is meant a variety of subjects which cannot be classified under such recognized headings as fiction, travel, or topical. They include wonderful inventions, little known industries, applied art, feats of engineering, and other events capable of effective illustration.
    • 1939 March-April, J. Neill-Brown, "The Industry's Front Page" ↗ The Cine-Technician (London) Vol. 4 no. 20 p. 200
      At the top of Charing Cross Road is the "Tatler," which has specialised for a long time in a general sort of program, built up of about 15 minutes of news, a cartoon (sometimes two), an interest picture, occasionally a comedy, and nearly always a documentary.
Synonyms
  • (fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed) cost of money, oker
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

interest (interests, present participle interesting; simple past and past participle interested)

  1. To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing.
    It might interest you to learn that others have already tried that approach.
    Action films don't really interest me.
  2. (obsolete, often impersonal) To be concerned with or engaged in; to affect; to concern; to excite.
    • 1633, John Ford, Perkin Warbeck:
      Or rather, gracious sir, / Create me to this glory, since my cause / Doth interest this fair quarrel.
  3. (obsolete) To cause or permit to share.
    • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC ↗, (please specify the page):
      The mystical communion of all faithful men is such as maketh every one to be interested in those precious blessings which any one of them receiveth at God's hands.
Antonyms Translations

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