n. Self-interest; private advantage. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. a. Disinterested. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The measures they shall walk by shall be disinterest and even. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. What is contrary to interest or advantage; disadvantage. [ Obs. ] Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Indifference to profit; want of regard to private advantage; disinterestedness. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To divest of interest or interested motives. [ Obs. ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. Disinteressed. ] Not influenced by regard to personal interest or advantage; free from selfish motive; having no relation of interest or feeling; not biased or prejudiced; as, a disinterested decision or judge. [ 1913 Webster ]

The happiness of disinterested sacrifices. Channing.

Syn. -- Unbiased; impartial; uninterested; indifferent. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a disinterested manner; without bias or prejudice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being disinterested; impartiality. [ 1913 Webster ]

That perfect disinterestedness and self-devotion of which man seems to be incapable, but which is sometimes found in woman. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Uninteresting. [ Obs. ] “Disinteresting passages.” Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Interested p. pr. & vb. n. Interesting. ] [ From interess'd, p. p. of the older form interess, fr. F. intéresser, L. interesse. See Interest, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or thing; as, the subject did not interest him; to interest one in charitable work. [ 1913 Webster ]

To love our native country . . . to be interested in its concerns is natural to all men. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

A goddess who used to interest herself in marriages. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be concerned with or engaged in; to affect; to concern; to excite; -- often used impersonally. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Or rather, gracious sir,
Create me to this glory, since my cause
Doth interest this fair quarrel. Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To cause or permit to share. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The mystical communion of all faithful men is such as maketh every one to be interested in those precious blessings which any one of them receiveth at God's hands. Hooker.

Syn. -- To concern; excite; attract; entertain; engage; occupy; hold. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. interest, F. intérêt, 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. Excitement of feeling, whether pleasant or painful, accompanying special attention to some object; concern; a desire to learn more about a topic or engage often in an activity. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

☞ Interest expresses mental excitement of various kinds and degrees. It may be intellectual, or sympathetic and emotional, or merely personal; as, an interest in philosophical research; an interest in human suffering; the interest which an avaricious man takes in money getting. [ 1913 Webster ]

So much interest have I in thy sorrow. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Finance, Commerce) Participation in advantage, profit, and responsibility; share; portion; part; as, an interest in a brewery; he has parted with his interest in the stocks. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Advantage, personal or general; good, regarded as a selfish benefit; profit; benefit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Divisions hinder the common interest and public good. Sir W. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

When interest calls of all her sneaking train. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Finance) A fee paid for the use of money; a fee paid for a loan; -- usually reckoned as a percentage; as, interest at five per cent per annum on ten thousand dollars. [ 1913 Webster ]

They have told their money, and let out
Their coin upon large interest. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Any excess of advantage over and above an exact equivalent for what is given or rendered. [ 1913 Webster ]

You shall have your desires with interest. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The persons interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively; as, the iron interest; the cotton interest. [ 1913 Webster ]

Compound interest, interest, not only on the original principal, but also on unpaid interest from the time it fell due. --
Simple interest, interest on the principal sum without interest on overdue interest. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Interest, v. t. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Having the attention engaged; having emotion or passion excited; as, an interested listener. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having an interest; concerned in a cause or in consequences; liable to be affected or prejudiced; as, an interested witness; an interested party. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being interested; selfishness. Richardson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Engaging the attention; exciting, or adapted to excite, interest, curiosity, or emotion; as, an interesting story; interesting news. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an interesting manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The condition or quality of being interesting. A. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Private interest; the interest or advantage of one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Particularly concerned for one's own interest or happiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Not interested; not having any interest or property in; having nothing at stake; as, to be uninterested in any business. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not having the mind or the passions engaged; as, uninterested in a discourse or narration. [ 1913 Webster ]

See high.
See honorable.
See hopeful.
See hostile.
See hurt.
See hhurtful.
See hygienic.
See ideal.
See idle.
See illusory.
See imaginable.
See imaginative.
See immortal.
See implicit.
See important.
See impressible. See >Unimpressible.
See impressionable.
See improvable.
See impugnable.
See incidental.
See increasable.
See indifferent.
See indulgent.
See industrious.
See inflammable.
See influential.
See ingenious.
See ingenuous.
See inhabitable.
See injurious.
See inquisitive.
See instructive.
See intelligent.
See intelligible.
See intentional.
See interesting.
See interpretable.
See inventive.
See investigable.
See jealous.
See joyful.
See joyous.
See justifiable.
See kingly.
See knightly.
See knotty.
See knowable.
See laborious.
See ladylike.
See level.
See libidinous.
See lightsome.
See limber.
See lineal.
See logical.
See lordly.
See losable.
See lovable.
See lucent.
See luminous.
See lustrous.
See lusty.
See maidenly.
See makable.
See malleable.
See manageable.
See manful.
See manlike.
See manly.
See marketable.
See marriable.
See marriageable.
See marvelous.
See masculine.
See matchable.
See matronlike.
See meek.
See meet.
See melodious.
See mendable.
See mentionable.
See mercenary.
See merciable.
See meritable.
See merry.
See metaphorical.
See mighty.
See mild.
See military.
See mindful.
See mingleable.
See miraculous.
See miry.
See mitigable.
See modifiable.
See modish.
See moist.
See monkish.
See motherly.
See muscular.
See musical.
See mysterious.
See namable.
See native.
See navigable.
See needful.
See negotiable.
See niggard.
See noble.
See objectionable.
[ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]

. 1. a special personal interest, usually financial, in an existing system, law, or institution, which hinders a person from making objective decisions regarding that system, law, or institution. A vested interest may be one which benefits a relative, or, in an extended sense, one which defends a person's own reputation or previously expressed views. [ PJC ]

2. a right given to an employee by a pension plan, which cannot be taken away. [ PJC ]

3. pl. the persons, corporations, or other groups which benefit most (usually financially) from the existing system of institutions, laws, and customs. [ PJC ]