interest
noun
uk/ˈɪntrəst/ us [ U ] FINANCE
money that is charged by a bank or other financial organization for lending money:
interest charges/payments Interest charges on an overdraft are usually quite high.
charge/pay interest A number of providers don't charge any interest for an introductory period when you get one of their cards.
interest on sth The interest on a mortgage is higher than the interest earned on savings.
You can expect to pay interest of 4–6% on the loan.
with interest I paid back the whole sum with interest within a month.
monthly/annual interest
[ U ] FINANCE
money that you earn from keeping your money in an account in a bank or other financial organization:
earn/receive/pay interest You will earn interest at 4% as long as you have money in your account.
Consumers look for the best rate of interest on their savings.
You will receive interest payments on your investments monthly.
The account pays interest of up to 5%.
monthly/annual interest
[ C ]
an involvement or a legal right, usually relating to a business or possessions that you own with other people:
He is a multi-millionaire with business interests around the world.
an interest in sth The bank has a legal interest in the building until the money is repaid, as it was offered as security on the loan.
[ S or U ]
the feeling of wanting to give your attention to something or of wanting to be involved with and to discover more about something:
show interest (in sth) Customers are showing a lot of interest in this new design.
lose interest (in sth) Keep your points short and snappy when you make your presentation, or the audience might lose interest.
take an interest (in sth) Since our company featured in a national newspaper, people are starting to take an interest in what we do.
have an interest in sth I've always had an interest in aviation.
Just out of interest, how many people were at the conference?
[ C ]
an activity that you enjoy doing or a subject that you like to spend time learning about:
She lists her interests as music, running, and learning languages.
[ U ]
the quality that makes you think that something is interesting:
be of interest to sb I think this report would be of interest to you.
[ C or U ]
something that brings someone advantages or that affects someone or something:
A union looks after the interests of its members.
It's in your interests to keep careful records.
In the interests of safety, please do not smoke.
I believe it is in everyone's best interests if I resign.
See also
accrued interest
add-on interest
bank interest
beneficial interest
compound interest
conflict of interest
controlling interest
ex-interest
expression of interest
gross interest
imputed interest
majority interest
minority interest
net interest
simple interest
true interest cost
working interest
vested interest
zero interest