From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishinvestmentin‧vest‧ment /ɪnˈvestmənt/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun 1 [countable, uncountable]BFMONEY the use of money to get a profit or to make a business activity successful, or the money that is used We plan to buy some property as an investment.investment in That year, Japanese investment in American real estate totaled $13.06 billion.investment of Each of us was required to put up a minimum investment of £5,000.2 USEFUL[countable] something that you buy or do because it will be useful latera good/sound investment The lessons cost me over £500, but I consider them a good investment.3 [singular, uncountable]LOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT when you spend a large amount of time, energy, emotion etc on something a huge investment of time and effortCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1 : the use of money to get a profit or to make a business activity successful, or the money that is usedverbsmake an investment (in something)We have made a huge investment in our website.attract investmentThe company is trying to attract investment from overseas.stimulate/encourage investmentThe government has cut taxes in order to stimulate investment.protect your investmentIt's best to invest in several funds, in order to protect your investment.recoup your investment (=get back the money that you have invested)Investors will have to take legal action to recoup their investment. adjectivesa good investmentProperty is usually a good investment.a bad/poor investmentThe shares turned out to be a poor investment.a big/major/massive/huge investmentDeveloping a new computer system is always a big investment for any organisation.a safe investment (=in which you are unlikely to lose money)Electricity shares are still a safe investment.a wise investment (=very sensible)A pension might be a wise investment.a risky investment (=in which you are likely to lose money)Risky investments usually have higher yields.foreign/overseas investmentThe government is eager to attract foreign investment to fund building projects.a long-term investment (=one that will give you profit after a long time)Buying a house is a long-term investment.a short-term investment (=one that will give you profit in a short time)Interest rates will be cut on short-term investments.private investment (=investment by private individuals)Public expenditure in declining areas will attract future private investment.public investment (=investment by the government or state)There have been drastic cuts in public investment in housing.capital investment (=investment in machines, equipment etc)A huge capital investment will have to be made to maintain the buildings.investment + NOUNan investment scheme British English, an investment program American English:Most investment schemes are subject to tax.an investment opportunityShe took advantage of a unique investment opportunity.an investment adviserHe has served as an investment adviser for several major banks.an investment bankerHe is an investment banker at a prestigious Wall Street firm.investment income (=money that you earn from your investments)The rate of taxation on investment income is set to increase.investment fundsThe city is in a good position to attract new investment funds.phrasesthe (rate of) return on an investment (=profit from an investment)We expect a high return on our investment.
Examples from the Corpus
investment• exciting investment opportunities• Foreign investment peaked in November, when overseas investors took advantage of low prices.• Once we have seen an improvement in the company's performance, we will think about further investment.• Raising kids requires a huge investment of time and energy.• The Postal Service has made an extremely large investment in automated technology.• We have the largest investment in microelectronics technology of any company in the world.• A Certificate of Deposit remains one of the safest investments.• Buying shares in blue-chip companies is always a sound investment.• In ten years' time, your investment should be worth four times what it is now.investment in• In 1990, Japanese investment in U.S. real estate totaled $13.06 billion.a good/sound investment• A superb gift and a good investment!• In popular mythology, gold is regarded as a good investment.• As a former building contractor, he had an eye for a sound investment in bricks and mortar.• Having your neck and shoulders rubbed, or better still a full body massage, is a good investment.• With regard to second-hand values, a good pipe organ is a better investment than an electronic instrument.• Anything you can do to keep it consistently positive is a good investment.• Hank told me this car was a good investment.• But he knew it was a good investment.From Longman Business Dictionaryinvestmentin‧vest‧ment /ɪnˈvestmənt/ nounFINANCE1[countable, uncountable] when money is put into a business in order to make it more successful and profitable, or the money that is put into a businesstax cuts aimed at stimulating investmentMore investment is also needed to develop the food-processing industry in rural areas.investment inThe Postal Service has made an extremely large investment in automated technology.Investment in manufacturing has fallen by 18.8 percent in the past year.Mr Olsen founded the company with a $70,000 investment in 1957.Return on investment (ROI) or return on capital (ROC) is the amount of profit received on an investment in relation to the amount of money invested. If someone disinvests from an activity or area of business, they stop investing in it. If someone divests, they reduce the number of their investments by selling them. If someone diversifies, they put money into several different types of investment instead of only one or two.2[countable] something you buy, such as shares, bonds, or property, in order to make a profitBondholders favor lower interest rates because they increase the worth of their investments.We plan to buy some property as an investment.The top rate of taxation on investment income (=income from investments) reached 98 percent.3[countable] an amount of money that you investinvestment ofSome international funds demand a minimum initial investment of only $1,000 or even less.They want a good return on their investment.4[uncountable] when you buy shares, bonds, property etc in order to make a profitThey derived their wealth from investment in property. → alternative investment → capital investment → community investment → corporate investment → direct investment → domestic investment → equity investment → ethical investment → financial investment → fixed-income investment → fixed investment → foreign investment → government investment → gross investment → incubation investment → institutional investment → inward investment → legal investment → net investment → outward investment → overseas investment → personal investment → private investment → property investment → public investment → real estate investment → speculative investment 