interest

/ˈɪntərəst/

/ˈɪntrɛst/

Other forms: interesting; interests; interested

Interest is used most often to describe something you like, enjoy or think useful. You might have an interest in African literature, or you might follow the news with interest.

Although interest is used mainly to describe anything that is, well, interesting, it also is used in specific legal contexts. If you have an interest in a company, it means you own part of it. Interest is also the word used to describe money charged or given as part of a debt. If a bank loans you $10,000, you have to pay back the $10,000 plus the interest. If the interest rate is 5 percent annually, you would owe $500.

Definitions of interest

1. noun

   a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
   “an interest in music”

   synonyms: involvement

   types:

   enthusiasm

   a lively interest

   concern

   something that interests you because it is important or affects you

   Anglomania

   an excessive enthusiasm for all things English

   balletomania

   extraordinary enthusiasm for ballets

   earth, earthly concern, world, worldly concern

   the concerns of this life as distinguished from heaven and the afterlife

   affair, matter, thing

   a matter or concern

   affairs, personal business, personal matters

   matters of personal concern

   part

   that which concerns a person with regard to a particular role or situation

   point of honor

   a concern that seriously reflects on your honor

   type of:

   curiosity, wonder

   a state in which you want to learn more about something
2. noun

   the power of attracting or holding one's attention (because it is unusual or exciting etc.)
   “they said nothing of great interest”

   “primary colors can add interest to a room”

   synonyms: interestingness

   types:

   charisma, personal appeal, personal magnetism

   a personal attractiveness or interestingness that enables you to influence others

   news, newsworthiness

   the quality of being sufficiently interesting to be reported in news bulletins

   topicality

   the attribute of being of interest at the present time

   color, colour, vividness

   interest and variety and intensity

   shrillness

   the quality of being sharp or harsh to the senses

   type of:

   power, powerfulness

   possession of controlling influence
3. noun

   a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)
   “he counts reading among his interests”

   synonyms: pastime, pursuit

   types:

   avocation, by-line, hobby, pursuit, sideline, spare-time activity

   an auxiliary activity

   spelaeology, speleology

   the pastime of exploring caves

   type of:

   diversion, recreation

   an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
4. noun

   a reason for wanting something done
   “in the interest of safety”

   “in the common interest”

   synonyms: sake

   types:

   behalf

   for someone's benefit (usually expressed as `in behalf' rather than `on behalf' and usually with a possessive)

   type of:

   benefit, welfare

   something that aids or promotes well-being
5. verb

   excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of
   antonyms:

   bore

   cause to be bored

   types:

   absorb, engage, engross, occupy

   consume all of one's attention or time

   fascinate, grip, spellbind, transfix

   render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe

   involve

   occupy or engage the interest of

   consume

   engage fully

   rivet

   hold (someone's attention)

   type of:

   arouse, elicit, enkindle, evoke, fire, kindle, pique, provoke, raise

   call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
6. verb

   be on the mind of
   synonyms: concern, occupy, worry
7. verb

   be of importance or consequence to
   synonyms: matter to

   types:

   fascinate, intrigue

   cause to be interested or curious

   grab, seize

   capture the attention or imagination of

   type of:

   bear on, come to, concern, have-to doe with, pertain, refer, relate, touch, touch on

   be relevant to
8. noun

   a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of the amount borrowed
   “how much interest do you pay on your mortgage?”

   types:

   compound interest

   interest calculated on both the principal and the accrued interest

   simple interest

   interest paid on the principal alone

   type of:

   fixed charge, fixed cost, fixed costs

   a periodic charge that does not vary with business volume (as insurance or rent or mortgage payments etc.)
9. noun

   (law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
   “they have interests all over the world”

   synonyms: stake

   types:

   grubstake

   funds advanced to a prospector or to someone starting a business in return for a share of the profits

   controlling interest

   ownership of more than 50% of a corporation's voting shares

   insurable interest

   an interest in a person or thing that will support the issuance of an insurance policy; an interest in the survival of the insured or in the preservation of the thing that is insured

   vested interest

   (law) an interest in which there is a fixed right to present or future enjoyment and that can be conveyed to another

   security interest

   any interest in a property that secures the payment of an obligation

   terminable interest

   an interest in property that terminates under specific conditions

   undivided interest, undivided right

   the interest in property owned by tenants whereby each tenant has an equal right to enjoy the entire property

   fee

   an interest in land capable of being inherited

   equity

   the ownership interest of shareholders in a corporation

   reversion

   (law) an interest in an estate that reverts to the grantor (or his heirs) at the end of some period (e.g., the death of the grantee)

   right

   (frequently plural) the interest possessed by law or custom in some intangible thing

   fee simple

   a fee without limitation to any class of heirs; they can sell it or give it away

   fee tail

   a fee limited to a particular line of heirs; they are not free to sell it or give it away

   sweat equity

   interest in a building that a tenant earns by contributing to its renovation or maintenance

   escheat

   a reversion to the state (as the ultimate owner of property) in the absence of legal heirs

   pledge

   a deposit of personal property as security for a debt

   mortgage

   a conditional conveyance of property as security for the repayment of a loan

   conditional sale

   a security interest taken by the seller in return for credit

   collateral

   a security pledged for the repayment of a loan

   lien

   the right to take another's property if an obligation is not discharged

   type of:

   part, percentage, portion, share

   assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group
10. noun

    (usually plural) a social group whose members control some field of activity and who have common aims
    “the iron interests stepped up production”

    synonyms: interest group

    types:

    special interest

    an individual or group who are concerned with some particular part of the economy and who try to influence legislators or bureaucrats to act in their favor

    vested interest

    groups that seek to control a social system or activity from which they derive private benefit

    military-industrial complex

    a country's military establishment and the industries that produce arms and other military equipment

    type of:

    social group

    people sharing some social relation