vested interest
1
5.2
- noun
- /ˈvɛstɪd ˈɪntrəst/
- Formal
:
derecho adquirido
- It does create conditions in which people feel they have no vested interest in their home communities.
Examples
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All too often, the practical result is that the insurance company, which of course has a vested interest, gets to decide when it will honor its contractual obligations and when it won't.
Blog text (21) -
I have no real vested interest in this argument either way around.
Blog text (11) -
Because of its unique capabilities and capacity, the military has a vested interest in offering extensive assistance to the mission of medical defense.
Academic text (1998) -
I have a vested interest in public schools because I'm a taxpayer, just like you.
Blog text (31) -
They also have a vested interest in keeping the election close, as it boosts their relevance.
Blog text (31) -
As plaintiff, Rachel was required to show she has a substantial, vested interest that was significantly harmed by the retroactive application of the 2009 Amendment.
Blog text (16) -
Proponents of free markets and welfare cuts hold a vested interest in portraying Europe as chronically uncompetitive.
Academic text (1998) -
Create a government office for anything, give a corporation a contract for anything—even a wartime exigency—and a vested interest is created.
Blog text (8) -
The Court concluded that the retroactive application of the 2009 Amendment would significantly harm Rachel's vested interest in the ACB Trust by reducing her share from 50% to 16 2/3% of the income and principal of the trust.
Blog text (16) -
As a shareholder, she has a vested interest in the company's growth and stability.
Synonyms
406
4.2
A share in a business or project
334
6.5
A legal right to part of a property or business
Antonyms
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
Given the constituents 'vested' (established/guaranteed) and 'interest' (a stake), the compound readily yields the notion of an established or personal stake in an outcome; a learner who knows both words can compose these meanings to reach the MWE sense. This follows normal English composition patterns (and has parallels in many languages), so the meaning is directly derivable rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
Vested interest comes from an old legal use of the verb vest, which meant to 'put a coat on' someone as a sign that they had a right. The image of someone 'wearing' that right shows it is fixed and cannot be taken away, so the phrase means a secure legal right.