invest

verb (1)

in·vest | \ in-ˈvest

invested; investing; invests

Definition of invest

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

intransitive verb

: to make an investment

invest

verb (2)

invested; investing; invests

Definition of invest (Entry 2 of 2)

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 : clothe, adorn

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

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Examples of invest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The Elgin Police Department and the Aurora Police Department have both invested in training officers in crisis intervention, but there needs to be funding in crisis stabilization units in the area, McMahon said. — Gloria Casas, Aurora Beacon-News, "In wake of Aurora mass shooting, panel says stronger gun laws, better tracking of FOID cards needed," 7 June 2019 Siegal feels that the U.S. and Europe must invest the time, energy and resources required to bolster and ensure the relationship despite the many challenges. — Sergio Carmona, sun-sentinel.com, "American Jewish Committee’s Miami-Broward region focuses on transatlantic alliance," 7 June 2019 Tens of millions of dollars in state funding will be making its way to south suburban communities to repave streets, repair water mains and invest in other public works projects as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. — Ted Slowik, Daily Southtown, "Slowik: Towns may have to wait years to get funds through Rebuild Illinois capital plan," 6 June 2019 Researchers say the cost of investing in preserving and maintaining Wisconsin's freshwater resources is far less than the cost of not doing so. — Devi Shastri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'The Silicon Valley of freshwater': UW System aims high, but is the money there?," 6 June 2019 One aspect of negotiations that changed during that time was landlords’ increased willingness to invest in front-end costs such as construction of new space, Gabel said. — Ryan Ori, chicagotribune.com, "North Michigan Avenue tries to bring back the 'Magnificent' amid retail upheaval," 5 June 2019 The groups said a commitment by manufacturers to make more electric vehicles available in Colorado, to step up marketing and to invest in charging stations would get more electric vehicles on the road faster than state mandates. — Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, "Colorado to pursue mandatory electric-vehicle standard after attempt to make it voluntary fails," 5 June 2019 When Del Posto, a grand Italianate dining room in Manhattan, lost its second star, in 2009, the restaurant’s owners at the time, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, invested half a million dollars in upgrades, in the hopes of winning it back. — Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, "The Michelin Guide’s Not Entirely Welcome Return to L.A.," 5 June 2019 Baseball can start by paying their minor leaguers livable wages, and by teams investing in minor league facilities to at least match what’s widely available at many college programs. — Sam Mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Bobby Witt Jr., Ned Yost, Patrick Mahomes and dad’n," 4 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'invest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for invest

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

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Dictionary Entries near invest

invert soap

invert sugar

in (very) bad/poor taste

Statistics for invest

Last Updated

23 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for invest

The first known use of invest was circa 1534

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More Definitions for invest

invest

verb

Financial Definition of invest

What It Is

Investing is the strategic purchase or sale of assets in order to produce income or capital gains.

How It Works

Investing can involve the purchase or sale of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, interest-bearing accounts, land, derivatives, real estate, artwork, old comic books, jewelry or anything else an investor believes will produce income (usually in the form of interest or rents) or become worth more.

Why It Matters

The safety of the principal is of concern in any investing activity, although some investors are more risk tolerant than others and are thus more willing to lose some of their principal in return for the chance of generating a higher profit. The investor's ability to tolerate risk and the incremental return associated with increasing amounts of risk are two primary factors that distinguish types of investing and help determine appropriate investments for a given investor.

Source: Investing Answers

invest

verb

in·vest | \ in-ˈvest

invested; investing

Kids Definition of invest

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to give power or authority to

invest

verb

invested; investing

Kids Definition of invest (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to put out money in order to gain profit She invested in a business.

2 : to put out (as effort) in support of a usually worthy cause We invested time in the project.

invest

transitive verb

in·vest | \ in-ˈvest

Medical Definition of invest

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 feelings — Structure & Meaning of Psychoanalysis