Dellinteresse

Dell'interesse is an Italian prepositional phrase formed from di + l'interesse, meaning “of the interest” or “of the stake.” It is not a standalone concept, but a common component in legal, economic, and political language that signals possession, concern, or relevance to a particular interest. The phrase often appears in longer expressions such as nell'interesse del pubblico or nell'interesse della sicurezza, where the focus is on what benefits a group or objective.

Etymology and grammar: The noun interesse derives from the Latin intersessus or interesse, historically tied to importance or advantage. In Italian, di expresses association or ownership, and when di combines with l' (the definite article for a vowel-initial noun) the form becomes dell'. Thus, dell'interesse literally preserves the sense “of the interest,” as in dell'interesse pubblico (“of the public interest”) or dell'interesse della comunità (“of the interest of the community”). The phrase can be used with various proprietors or beneficiaries, such as interessi degli azionisti (“interests of the shareholders”).

Usage notes: Dell'interesse may appear in contexts describing who benefits or bears responsibility, or in phrases that frame actions as aligned with a particular interest. It is distinct from the standalone noun interesse, which also means financial interest (as in tasso d'interesse, the interest rate) but can function independently of the possessive construction. In everyday Italian, speakers more often use nell'interesse of, for example, nell'interesse della sicurezza pubblica, and similar variants depending on the agent and object of the interest.