interest

interest
/in"teuhr ist, -trist/, n.
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. a sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money.
b. 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.
16. in the interest(s) of, to the advantage or advancement of; in behalf of: in the interests of good government.
v.t.
17. to engage or excite the attention or curiosity of: Mystery stories interested him greatly.
18. to concern (a person, nation, etc.) in something; involve: The fight for peace interests all nations.
19. to cause to take a personal concern or share; induce to participate: to interest a person in an enterprise.
20. to cause to be concerned; affect.
[1225-75; (n.) ME < ML, L: it concerns, lit., it is between; r. interesse < ML, L: to concern, lit., to be between; (v.) earlier interess as v. use of the n.; see INTER-, ESSE]

* * *

Price paid for the use of credit or money.

It is usually figured as a percentage of the money borrowed and is computed annually. Interest is charged by the lender as payment for the loss of his or her money for a period of time. The interest rate reflects the risk of lending and is higher for loans that are considered higher-risk, a relationship known as the risk/return tradeoff. Like the prices of goods and services, interest rates are responsive to supply and demand. Theories explaining the need for interest include the time-preference theory, according to which interest is the inducement to engage in time-consuming but more productive activities, and the liquidity-preference theory of John Maynard Keynes, according to which interest is the inducement to sacrifice a desired degree of liquidity for a nonliquid contractual obligation. Interest rates may also be used as a tool for implementing monetary policy (see discount rate). High interest rates may dampen the economy by making it difficult for consumers, businesses, and home buyers to secure loans, while lower rates tend to stimulate the economy and encourage both investment and consumption.

* * *

      the price paid for the use of credit or money. It may be expressed either in money terms or as a rate of payment. A brief treatment of interest follows. For full treatment, see capital and interest.

      Interest may also be viewed as the income derived from the possession of contractual promises from others to pay sums in the future. The question may be asked, “What is the value today of a promise to pay $100 a year from now?” If the answer is $100, then no interest income is generated. Most people, however, would require an inducement to give up $100 today and for the next year. If $5 were sufficient inducement—that is, if they would buy such a promise for $95—then interest income of $5 has been generated at a rate of just over 5 percent.

      Various theories have been developed to account for and justify interest. Among the better known are the time-preference theory of the Austrian, or Marginalist, school of economists, according to which interest is the inducement to engage in time-consuming but more productive activities, and the liquidity-preference (liquidity preference) theory developed by J.M. Keynes, according to which interest is the inducement to sacrifice a desired degree of liquidity for a nonliquid contractual obligation. It may be mentioned that in Marxist theory interest, like capital itself, is a portion of labour expropriated by the capitalist class by virtue of its political power.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • interest — in·ter·est / in trəst; in tə rəst, ˌrest/ n [probably alteration of earlier interesse, from Anglo French, from Medieval Latin, from Latin, to be between, make a difference, concern, from inter between, among + esse to be] 1: a right, title, claim …   Law dictionary

  • interest — INTEREST. s. m. Ce qui importe, ce qui convient en quelque maniere que ce soit, ou à l honneur, ou à l utilité, ou à la satisfaction de quelqu un. Interest public, general, commun. interest de famille. interest particulier. interest d honneur.… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Interest — In ter*est, n. [OF. interest, F. int[ e]r[^e]t, fr. L. interest it interests, is of interest, fr. interesse to be between, to be difference, to be importance; inter between + esse to be; cf. LL. interesse usury. See {Essence}.] [1913 Webster] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Interest —     Interest     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Interest     Notion of interest     Interest is a value exacted or promised over and above the restitution of a borrowed capital.     ♦ Moratory interest, that is interest due as an indemnity or a… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • interest — Interest, Versura, B. Prendre à interest, Versuram facere, B. ex Cic. Argent prins à interest, ou perte de finance, Circunforaneum aes. Tu y as interest, Ad te attinent, et tua refert. Il n y a point d interest, Non interest quid faciat morbum,… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • interest — [in′trist, in′trəst, in′tər ist; ] also, esp. for v. [, in′tər est΄, in′trest΄] n. [ME interesse < ML usury, compensation (in L, to be between, be different, interest < inter , between + esse, to be: see IS1): altered, infl. by OFr interest …   English World dictionary

  • Interest — In ter*est, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Interested}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Interesting}.] [From interess d, p. p. of the older form interess, fr. F. int[ e]resser, L. interesse. See {Interest}, n.] [1913 Webster] 1. To engage the attention of; to awaken… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • interest — [n1] attraction, curiosity absorption, activity, affection, attentiveness, care, case, concern, concernment, consequence, diversion, engrossment, enthusiasm, excitement, game, hobby, importance, interestedness, into, leisure activity, matter,… …   New thesaurus

  • interest — ► NOUN 1) the state of wanting to know about something or someone. 2) the quality of exciting curiosity or holding the attention. 3) a subject about which one is concerned or enthusiastic. 4) money paid for the use of money lent. 5) a person s… …   English terms dictionary

  • Interest —   Interest is the charge or cost for using money; expressed as a rate per period, usually one year, called interest rate.   The reward for making funds available to a third party over a period of time, usually pre arranged …   International financial encyclopaedia

  • interest — is now normally pronounced in trist or in trest, with the first e unpronounced. The same applies to the derivative words interested, interesting, etc …   Modern English usage

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”