Vested vs Invested
Vested and invested are two English words that are commonly misused by people, even though they have completely different meanings and pronunciations. This article examines the differences between these two words that are often confused.
Key Takeaways
- Invested means putting time, effort, or money into something for a favorable result.
- Vested means protected by law, such as power vested in someone.
- Vested interest means a special reason that makes a person biased towards something, while invested interest is not a valid term and should always be referred to as vested interest.
Vested is a word that is mostly used as vested interest, although the word has other meanings as well. If you have a vested interest in something, you have a special reason to take interest in it, and you are biased and cannot take a neutral stand. For example, if cigarette manufacturers want tobacco laws to be amended according to their wishes, it is because they have a vested interest in it. In general, vested is a word that means having rights of ownership, although the actual conferment of those rights may be delayed for some time.
A vested right implies a right that has been settled or fixed by law. A vested right is absolute, and it is not contingent upon some condition. These rights are inalienable and permanent.
Invested is the past tense and past participle of invest, which is an act of placing money in a business or venture in expectation of high profits or good returns. However, you can also invest time and effort to achieve a goal in anticipation of a favorable result. Here are some examples to help understand the meaning and usage of invested:
• The old couple lost all their money invested in the company as its shares crashed.
• Graham invested his savings into the stocks of blue-chip companies.
• As he had invested a lot of time and effort for exam preparations, he broke down when he heard that he had not been selected.
In summary, invested refers to putting time, effort, or money into something for a favorable outcome, while vested refers to having rights or interests protected by law. When talking about a special reason that makes a person biased towards something, the correct term is “vested interest,” not “invested interest.”
