investment
/ɪnˈvest.mənt/ IELTSAcademic
noun
- 1.
money that you put into a business, property, or financial product to earn more money later. It can also mean the act of doing this.
- We made an investment in renewable energy.
- Her investment grew over five years.
- The company needs new investment.
- 2.
time, effort, or resources spent on something because you expect a good result later.
- Learning English is a long-term investment.
- The training was a big investment of time.
- Good tools are an investment in quality.
Adinary Nuance
Investment is more specific than spending or cost. It means you put money, time, or effort in now because you expect a future gain. In business and IELTS writing, it sounds more formal and useful than everyday words like saving or buying.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đầu tư
- Spanish
- inversión
- Chinese
- 投资
- Japanese
- 投資
- Korean
- 투자
Etymology
Investment comes from the verb invest, from Latin investire, meaning “to clothe” or “to cover.” In English, the financial sense developed in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Common phrases
foreign investmentlong-term investmentinvestment inreturn on investment
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is investment a formal word?
- Yes. It is common in business, finance, and academic writing.
- What is the difference between investment and spending?
- Spending means using money now. Investment means using money now to get future value.
- Can investment mean time or effort?
- Yes. You can say an investment of time, effort, or energy.
- Is investment used in IELTS writing?
- Yes. It is a strong word for Task 2 essays and reports.