English Reference
Noun

investor

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US /ˌɪnˈvɛstɝ/ UK /ɪnvˈɛstɐ/ in·vestor UK spelling investor's, investor's Business Finance

n.a person or company that puts money into a business or project to make a profit later. You become an investor when you buy stocks or property hoping the value will go up.

n.a person or entity that commits capital to an enterprise, project, or financial instrument with the expectation of achieving a financial return.


SIMPLE

The new startup is looking for a private investor to fund its growth.

CONTEXTUAL

After the company reported record profits, every major investor decided to hold onto their shares instead of selling.

COMPLEX

Institutional investors often exert significant influence over corporate governance by leveraging their substantial equity stakes to demand greater transparency and more sustainable long-term strategies from the board of directors.

Usage

Often categorized by adjectives such as 'institutional', 'private', or 'angel' to specify the source of capital.

Swiss Infantino had proposed carving off ⁠the commercial rights to the World Cup and selling 20 percent to private investors to raise about $4.2bn before ⁠a U-turn following the furore.

Al Jazeera· 14 Aug 2026

The slump has had a big impact on many of the country's personal investors who bought tech stocks over the past year.

BBC News· 13 Aug 2026

Common in business writing


From invest + -or.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated