# investment

/ˌɪnˈvɛsmənt/ (US) · /ɪnvˈɛstmənt/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. financial capital

noun · CEFR B1

money that you put into a business or bank to make more money.

For teachers: the allocation of capital into assets, such as stocks or property, with the expectation of deriving income or profit.

- Buying that apartment was a great investment because its value has doubled.
- The venture capital firm increased its investment in the biotech startup after the initial clinical trials yielded promising results.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'in'.

### 2. effort or time

noun · CEFR B2

the time or energy you spend on something to make it successful.

For teachers: the devotion of non-financial resources, such as time, emotion, or effort, toward a particular purpose or person.

- Learning a new language requires a big investment of your time.
- The mentorship programme requires a significant emotional investment from both the senior executives and the junior staff members.

### 3. military siege

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

the act of surrounding a place with an army to take control of it.

For teachers: the act of surrounding or blocking a hostile town or fortress with armed forces.

- The investment of the city lasted for months before the gates were finally opened.
- The general ordered a complete investment of the fortress, cutting off all supply lines to force a swift surrender.

Teaching tip: This sense is rare in modern speech; 'siege' is the standard term for general contexts.

### 4. casting mold

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special material used to make a mold for shaping metal.

For teachers: a refractory material, often silica and plaster, used to form a mold for the lost-wax casting process.

- The artist poured the liquid metal into the investment to create the bronze statue.
- The precision of the final sculpture depends on the quality of the investment material used during the casting phase.

## Examples

- Buying a house is a big financial investment.
- The city's investment in public transport led to a significant decrease in traffic congestion over the following decade.
- While high-risk ventures offer the potential for substantial returns, a diversified portfolio remains the most reliable strategy for long-term capital investment and wealth preservation.

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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.