investment
/ɪnˈvɛs(t)m(ə)nt
/noun
1 [mass noun] The action or process of investing money for profit: a debate over private investment in road-building the need to attract foreign investment [count noun]: a total investment of £50,000...
- Turkey has never led the list of the countries in terms of total amount of foreign investment in Bulgaria.
- The government is in favour of allowing foreign direct investment in the pension sector.
- This second phase will bring the total investment in excess of one billion dollars.
Synonyms
investing, speculation;
expenditure, outlay, funding, backing, financing, underwriting;
buying shares
stake, share, portion, interest, money/capital invested
informal ante
1.1 [count noun] A thing that is worth buying because it may be profitable or useful in the future: freezers really are a good investment for the elderly...
- Both of these pieces of equipment were good investments for future use in ceramics classes.
- Future investments will be concentrated into the automotive business in order to improve its competitiveness.
- We have made big investments for the future in the Superannuation Fund and now in the savings initiatives.
Synonyms
venture, speculation, risk, gamble;
asset, buy, acquisition, holding, possession;
bargain
British informal flutter, punt
1.2 [count noun] An act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result: the time spent in attending the seminar is an investment in our professional futures...
- This survey is the result of a significant investment of time by numerous volunteers.
- Then, there was an enormous investment of time and effort in the decision over the euro.
- The readiness we have today is a result of our past investments in realistic training.
Synonyms
sacrifice, surrender, foregoing, loss, relinquishment, forfeiture
2 [mass noun] archaic The surrounding of a place by a hostile force in order to besiege or blockade it.