Interest

1. the feeling of a person whose attention, concern, or curiosity is particularly engaged by something: She has a great interest in the poetry of Donne. 2. something that concerns, involves, draws the attention of, or arouses the curiosity of a person: His interests are philosophy and chess. 3. power of exciting such concern, involvement, etc.; quality of being interesting: political issues of great interest. 4. concern; importance: a matter of primary interest. 5. a business, cause, or the like in which a person has a share, concern, responsibility, etc. 6. a share, right, or title in the ownership of property, in a commercial or financial undertaking, or the like: He bought half an interest in the store. 7. a participation in or concern for a cause, advantage, responsibility, etc. 8. a number or group of persons, or a party, financially interested in the same business, industry, or enterprise: the banking interest. 9. interests, the group of persons or organizations having extensive financial or business power. 10. the state of being affected by something in respect to advantage or detriment: We need an arbiter who is without interest in the outcome. 11. benefit; advantage: to have one's own interest in mind. 12. regard for one's own advantage or profit; self-interest: The partnership dissolved because of their conflicting interests. 13. influence from personal importance or capability; power of influencing the action of others. 14. Finance. a sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money. such a sum expressed as a percentage of money borrowed to be paid over a given period, usually one year. 15. something added or thrown in above an exact equivalent: Jones paid him back with a left hook and added a right uppercut for interest.