interest
/ˈɪntrəst/ nounDefinition
FEELING [U, no plural] › the feeling of wanting to give attention to something or discover more about it: Mark had an interest in the media and wanted to become a journalist. After a while he simply lost interest in (= stopped being interested) his studies. Bindi felt that her father didn't take much of an interest in her (= he was not very interested).
ACTIVITY/SUBJECT [C] › something you enjoy doing, studying, or experiencing: We share a lot of the same interests, particularly music and football.
MONEY YOU PAY [U] › the extra money that you must pay to a bank, company, etc which has lent you money: low interest rates
MONEY YOU EARN [U] › the money you earn from keeping your money in a bank account
QUALITY [U] › a quality that makes you think something is interesting: Would this book be of any interest to you? The tour offers a chance to visit places of interest.
ADVANTAGE [C, U] › something that gives someone or something an advantage: A union looks after the interests of its members.
be in sb's interest(s) › to help someone and give them an advantage: It may not be in your interests to change jobs so soon.
in the interest(s) of sth › in order to achieve a particular situation or quality: In the interest of safety, passengers are advised to wear their seat belts at all times.
LEGAL RIGHT [C] formal › the legal right to own or receive part of a building, company, profits, etc → See also self-interest → See also vested interest
(Definition of interest noun from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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