# interest

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɪn.tɹɛst/ · frequency rank #695

## Definitions
1. The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed.
2. Any excess over and above an exact equivalent
3. A great attention and concern from someone or something; intellectual curiosity.
4. Attention that is given to or received from someone or something.
5. An involvement, claim, right, share, stake in or link with a financial, business, or other undertaking or endeavor.
6. Something which, or someone whom, one is interested in.
7. Condition or quality of exciting concern or being of importance.
8. Injury, or compensation for injury; damages.
9. The persons and companies interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively.
10. A genre of factual short films, generally more amusing than informative, especially those not covered by a more specific genre label.

## Etymology
From Middle English interest, from Old French interesse and interest (French intérêt), from Medieval Latin interesse, from Latin interesse.

## Easily confused with
- **internet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interest-vs-internet)
- **interests** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interest-vs-interests)
- **intersect** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interest-vs-intersect)
- **interment** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interest-vs-interment)
- **interested** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interest-vs-interested)
- **interact** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interact-vs-interest)
- **inherent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inherent-vs-interest)
- **intercept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/intercept-vs-interest)

## Common misspellings (12)
`inetrest`, `innterest`, `inteerst`, `interesst`, `interestt`, `interets`, `interrest`, `interset`, `intreest`, `intterest`, `itnerest`, `niterest`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/interest