Interest - Definition

n 1: a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or
something; "an interest in music" [syn: interest,
involvement]
2: a reason for wanting something done; "for your sake"; "died
for the sake of his country"; "in the interest of safety";
"in the common interest" [syn: sake, interest]
3: the power of attracting or holding one's attention (because
it is unusual or exciting etc.); "they said nothing of great
interest"; "primary colors can add interest to a room" [syn:
interest, interestingness] [ant: uninterestingness]
4: a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of
the amount borrowed; "how much interest do you pay on your
mortgage?"
5: (law) a right or legal share of something; a financial
involvement with something; "they have interests all over the
world"; "a stake in the company's future" [syn: interest,
stake]
6: (usually plural) a social group whose members control some
field of activity and who have common aims; "the iron
interests stepped up production" [syn: interest, interest
group]
7: a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually
pleasantly); "sailing is her favorite pastime"; "his main
pastime is gambling"; "he counts reading among his
interests"; "they criticized the boy for his limited
pursuits" [syn: pastime, interest, pursuit]
v 1: excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of [ant:
bore, tire]
2: be on the mind of; "I worry about the second Germanic
consonant shift" [syn: concern, interest, occupy,
worry]
3: be of importance or consequence; "This matters to me!" [syn:
matter to, interest]