interest

noun

1. 1

   The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed.

   Our bank offers borrowers an annual interest of 5%.

2. 2

   Any excess over and above an exact equivalent

   You shall have your desires with interest

3. 3

   A great attention and concern from someone or something; intellectual curiosity.

   He has a lot of interest in vintage cars.

   I have a lot of interest in doing online coding.

   The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.

   Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ and if you don't look out there's likely to be some nice, lively dog taking an interest in your underpinning.”

4. 4

   Attention that is given to or received from someone or something.

   […] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.

   Over the past few years, however, interest has waxed again. A series of epidemiological studies, none big enough to be probative, but all pointing in the same direction, persuaded Emma Wilmot of the University of Leicester, in Britain, to carry out a meta-analysis. This is a technique that combines diverse studies in a statistically meaningful way.

   Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion."

5. 5

   Advantage, welfare, or something that serves it.

   The whole difference comes down to this, that Trotsky believed himself to 'represent the historical interests of the proletariat', while Stalin believed that he, Stalin, did so.

6. 6

   An involvement, claim, right, share, stake in or link with a financial, business, or other undertaking or endeavor.

   When scientists and doctors write articles and when politicians run for office, they are required in many countries to declare any existing conflicts of interest (competing interests).

   I have business interests in South Africa.

   She has an interest in the proceedings, and all stakeholders' interests must be protected.

   However he lost out, as other business interests whom he had alienated by his efforts to squeeze every penny of profit from the canal, supported the construction of the railway.

7. 7

   Something which, or someone whom, one is interested in.

   Lexicography is one of my interests.

   Victorian furniture is an interest of mine.

   The main character's romantic interest will be played by a non-professional actor.

8. 8

   Condition or quality of exciting concern or being of importance.

   The Conscience indeed is already violated when to moral good or evil we oppose things possessing no moral interest: […]

9. 9

   obsoleteInjury, or compensation for injury; damages.

   How can this infinite beauty, power and goodnes admit any correspondencie or similitude with a thing so base and abject as we are, without extreme interest and manifest derogation from his divine greatnesse?

10. 10

    The persons and companies interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively.

    the iron interest; the cotton interest

11. 11

    historicalA genre of factual short films, generally more amusing than informative, especially those not covered by a more specific genre label.

    By interest films is meant a variety of subjects which cannot be classified under such recognized headings as fiction, travel, or topical. They include wonderful inventions, little known industries, applied art, feats of engineering, and other events capable of effective illustration.

    The arrangements made ensured that the total cost of censorship could be kept down to one-fifth of a penny per foot of film censored (and even one-tenth of a penny per foot in cases of Topical, Travel, Interest and Educational Films).

    At the top of Charing Cross Road is the "Tatler," which has specialised for a long time in a general sort of program, built up of about 15 minutes of news, a cartoon (sometimes two), an interest picture, occasionally a comedy, and nearly always a documentary.

verb

1. 1

   To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing.

   It might interest you to learn that others have already tried that approach.

   Action films don't really interest me.

2. 2

   obsoleteTo be concerned with or engaged in; to affect; to concern; to excite.

   Oh, rather, gracious sir, / Create me to this glory; since my cause / Doth interest this fair quarrel; valued least, / I am his equal.

3. 3

   obsoleteTo cause or permit to share.

   The mystical communion of all faithful men is such as maketh every one to be interested in those precious blessings which any one of them receiveth at God's hands.

Forms

plural

interests

past tense

interested

past participle

interested

present participle

interesting

third person singular

interests