ENGLISH
REFERENCE

invest

v.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˌɪnˈvɛst// UK //ɪnvˈɛst// in·vest Academic Archaic General-service

v. to put money, time, or energy into something because you hope it will give you a good result later. You might do this with a business, a hobby, or even a relationship.

v. to allocate resources, such as capital, time, or effort, to a particular venture or project with the expectation of generating a profit or achieving a beneficial outcome. Often used metaphorically to describe emotional or intellectual commitment.


SIMPLE

I want to invest some money in the stock market.

CONTEXTUAL

Small business owners often invest their own savings to get their companies started during the first year.

COMPLEX

While the financial returns were modest, the firm chose to invest heavily in sustainable infrastructure to secure long-term operational stability and public trust.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle French investir or Medieval Latin investire, from Latin investio (“to clothe, cover”), from in- (“in, on”) + vestio (“to clothe, dress”), from vestis (“clothing”); see vest. The sense “to spend money etc.” probably via Italian investire, of the same root.

Etymology 2

From investigate, by shortening.

Usage

The verb is transitive when followed by a direct object, or intransitive when followed by the preposition 'in'.

Pitfall

invest on the companyinvest in the companyThe verb 'invest' typically takes the preposition 'in' rather than 'on' when referring to the target of the investment.

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