invest

1 of 2

verb (1)

in·​vest in-ˈvest How to pronounce invest (audio)
invested; investing; invests

transitive verb

1
: to commit (money) in order to earn a financial return
2
: to make use of for future benefits or advantages
invested her time wisely
3
: to involve or engage especially emotionally
were deeply invested in their children's lives
investable adjective
investor noun

invest

2 of 2

verb (2)

invested; investing; invests

transitive verb

1
[Medieval Latin investire, from Latin, to clothe]
a
: to array in the symbols of office or honor
b
: to furnish with power or authority
c
: to grant someone control or authority over : vest
2
: to endow with a quality : infuse
3
: to cover completely : envelop
4
5
[Middle French investir, from Old Italian investire, from Latin, to surround] : to surround with troops or ships so as to prevent escape or entry

Examples of invest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
With the nation’s largest wireless network, and a fast-growing fiber network, there are opportunities to upsell fiber to wireless customers—both residential and business customers—and vice versa, which is why the company has invested some $145 billion in those networks over the last five years. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 The new owners plan to invest $10 million over the next five years into Pacific Park’s food and entertainment programs and general operations. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 The mission, SpaceX’s third test flight of the Starship system, was eagerly awaited by NASA, which is investing $4 billion in developing Starship. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 According to a Michigan Economic Development Corp. announcement in 2022, Ford already had invested $740 million in the 30-acre campus in Corktown that is expected to hold 5,000 workers, with at least 2,500 of those jobs being non-Ford employees. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 In California and across the country, household water rates have been rising as utilities invest to upgrade aging infrastructure, secure future supplies and meet treatment standards for clean drinking water. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Raimondo said in a news conference in Manila on Monday that 22 American companies, whose delegations joined her trip, plan to invest more than $1 billion in the Philippines. Jim Gomez, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 Sherbro Alliance Partners, co-founded by Elba in 2019, is collaborating with the government to develop a special economic zone on the island to attract people from around the world to live, work, invest and play. Nell Lewis, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Granted, maybe investing so much of his power into the One Ring wasn't the best tactical maneuver. Marc Bernardin, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'invest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Italian investire to clothe, invest money, from Latin, to clothe

Verb (2)

Latin investire to clothe, surround, from in- + vestis garment — more at wear

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of invest was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near invest

Cite this Entry

“Invest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invest. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

invest

1 of 2 verb
in·​vest in-ˈvest How to pronounce invest (audio)
1
b
: to furnish with power or authority
2
: to cover completely
3
4
: to surround with troops or ships : besiege
5
: to supply with a quality or characteristic

invest

2 of 2 verb
1
: to lay out money so as to return a profit
invest in bonds and real estate
2
: to expend for future benefits or advantages
invest time and effort in a project
3
: to involve or engage especially emotionally
were deeply invested in their children's lives
investor noun

Medical Definition

invest

transitive verb
in·​vest in-ˈvest How to pronounce invest (audio)
1
: to envelop or cover completely
the pleura invests the lung
2
: to endow with a quality or characteristic
the paranoid personality who invests the external world with his … ideas and feelingsStructure & Meaning of Psychoanalysis

Legal Definition

invest

1 of 2 transitive verb
in·​vest in-ˈvest How to pronounce invest (audio)
1
: to install in an office or position
2
a
: to furnish with or formally grant power or authority
b
: to grant someone control or authority over : vest

invest

2 of 2 verb

transitive verb

1
: to commit (money) in order to earn a financial return
2
: to make use of for future benefits or advantages

intransitive verb

: to commit funds or purchase something of intrinsic value for future gain : make an investment
often used with in
investor noun
Etymology

Transitive verb

Medieval Latin investire, from Latin, to clothe, from in- in + vestis garment

Verb

Italian investire to clothe, invest money, from Latin, to clothe

More from Merriam-Webster on invest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!