# interested

/ˈɪntɝəstəd/ (US) · /ˈɪntɹəstɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/interested
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. showing curiosity

adjective · CEFR A1

wanting to learn more about something or give it your attention.

For teachers: showing or feeling curiosity or concern about something; cognitively engaged with a subject.

- I am very interested in learning how to cook Italian food.
- Several students remained after the lecture because they were genuinely interested in the professor's research on marine biology.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'in'.

Teaching tip: This is a classic 'ed/ing' adjective pair. Remind students that 'interested' describes the person's internal state.

### 2. having a stake or connection

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

having a reason to care about a situation because it affects you, often for money or business reasons.

For teachers: having a personal, financial, or legal stake in a matter; not neutral or disinterested.

- The company invited all interested parties to a meeting about the new building.
- The contract requires that all interested parties disclose any potential conflicts of financial interest before the merger proceeds.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'interested parties'.

Teaching tip: Contrast this with 'disinterested' (neutral/unbiased), which is the professional ideal for judges or referees.

## Examples

- I am interested in learning how to cook.
- She is very interested in history and spends most of her weekends visiting local museums and old castles.
- While many students found the lecture tedious, a few remained deeply interested, posing sophisticated questions that challenged the speaker's primary thesis and suggested a high level of prior engagement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.