direct investmentnoun [ U ]
ukusECONOMICS, FINANCE → foreign direct investment
FINANCE a situation where one shareholder owns enough of a company's shares to be able to influence its decisions:
Because of her direct investment, she was able to keep the company from merging with a rival.
BANKING, FINANCE investment by a bank directly in a company or a business opportunity:
With direct investment, a bank actually owns all or a portion of a venture, rather than simply lending money to finance the venture.