Interesse

Interesse is a noun used in German, Italian, Portuguese, and related languages to denote curiosity or attention, or a stake or benefit in a matter. The term derives from Latin inter- meaning “between” and esse meaning “to be,” conveying a sense of relevance or involvement. In English the cognate is more widely used as “interest,” with a broader range of senses; the direct term Interesse appears primarily in those other languages.

In finance, the sense of interest as payment for borrowed money is usually described with different terms in German, Italian, and Portuguese (for example, Zinsen in German). In Italian and Portuguese, however, interesse can denote financial interest or a stake in a project, and it can refer to the expected return on an investment. In legal and political contexts, interesse commonly means concern or relevance, as in the phrases interesse pubblico (public interest) or interesse nazionale (national interest).

Within everyday language, interesse also expresses personal curiosity or engagement: “ho un grande interesse per la musica” (I have a strong interest in music). The term thus functions across domains such as culture, law, business, and politics, with nuances shaped by the surrounding language and discipline. In multilingual contexts, distinguishing between personal interest, stakeholder interest, and financial interest is common, with the exact sense clarified by adjectives, articles, and the broader phrase in which it appears.