invest

1 of 2

verb

in·​vest in-ˈvest 

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

intransitive verb

: to make an investment

investable

in-ˈve-stə-bəl 

adjective

investor

in-ˈve-stər 

noun

investor

2 of 2

noun

in·​ves·​tor ə̇nˈvestə(r) 

plural -s

: one that invests

specifically : one that seeks to commit funds for long-term profit with a minimum of risk

—contrasted with speculator

Examples of invest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

No minimum to open a Fidelity Go® account, but minimum $10 balance for robo-advisor to start investing. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 4 June 2026

Airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, for example, has pledged to invest 26 billion pesos in the Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta airports through 2029. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

The International Finance Corporation and Proparco have announced plans to invest $50 million in Helios Sports and Entertainment, an African private equity fund focused on sports and entertainment. —Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 3 June 2026

Instead, Culture Minister Marc Miller said, the government will invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the sector. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

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

First Known Use

Verb

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

Phrases Containing invest

• co-invest
• invest as
• invest in

Rhymes for invest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

invest

1 of 2 verb

in·​vest in-ˈvest 

1

a

: install sense 1

b

: to furnish with power or authority

2

: to cover completely

3

: clothe sense 1a, adorn

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

-ˈves-tər 

noun

Medical Definition

invest

transitive verb

in·​vest in-ˈvest 

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

Legal Definition

invest

1 of 2 transitive verb

in·​vest in-ˈvest 

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