interest

pronunciation

How to pronounce interest in British English: UK [ˈɪntrəst] word uk audio image

How to pronounce interest in American English: US [ˈɪntrəst] word us audio image

Noun:

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
the power of attracting or holding one's interest (because it is unusual or exciting etc.)
a reason for wanting something done
a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of the amount borrowed
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
(usually plural) a social group whose members control some field of activity and who have common aims
Verb:

excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of
be on the mind of
be of importance or consequence

Word Origin

interest: interest: [15] The Latin verb interesse meant literally ‘be between’ (it was a compound of inter ‘between’ and esse ‘be’). It was used metaphorically for ‘be of concern, be important, matter’, and appears to have been borrowed into Anglo-Norman as a noun, meaning ‘what one has a legal concern in or share of’. English took this over in the 14th century as interesse, but it gradually changed over the next hundred years or so into interest, mainly due to the influence of Old French interest ‘damage’, which came from the third person present singular form of the Latin verb.The main modern sense ‘curiosity’ developed towards the end of the 18th century.

interest (n.): mid-15c., "legal claim or right; concern; benefit, advantage;" earlier interesse (late 14c.), from Anglo-French interesse "what one has a legal concern in," from Medieval Latin interesse "compensation for loss," noun use of Latin interresse "to concern, make a difference, be of importance," literally "to be between," from inter- "between" (see inter-) + esse "to be" (see essence). Compare German Interesse, from the same Medieval Latin source. Form in English influenced 15c. by French interest "damage," from Latin interest "it is of importance, it makes a difference," third person singular present of interresse. Financial sense of "money paid for the use of money lent" (1520s) earlier was distinguished from usury (illegal under Church law) by being in reference to "compensation due from a defaulting debtor." Meaning "curiosity" is first attested 1771. Interest group is attested from 1907; interest rate by 1868.

interest (v.): "to cause to be interested," c. 1600, earlier interesse (1560s), from the noun (see interest (n.)). Perhaps also from or influenced by interess'd, past participle of interesse.