Interessos

Interessos is a term found in Romance languages such as Catalan and Portuguese, generally translating to "interests" in English. Its meanings cluster around three broad senses: personal interests or hobbies; financial or stake-related interests in a project or company; and public or societal interests.

In everyday use, interessos can refer to what a person cares about or pursues. For example, someone might speak of their cultural or professional interesses, meaning their areas of interest or activities they follow. In economic or corporate contexts, the word can denote financial stakes or involvement, such as ownership or influence in an enterprise. In legal and administrative language, interessos appears in phrases describing conflicts of interest, where private concerns could affect official duties or decisions.

Etymology traces interessos to Latin interesse, meaning to matter or to be between. Through the evolution of Romance languages, it developed into interès in Catalan and interesse in Portuguese, with plural forms interessos and interesses reflecting language-specific orthography and pronunciation. The nuance of the word can shift slightly by context, from personal preference to material stake to public concern.

Usage notes emphasize that while interessos relates to "interests," Portuguese often uses other terms (such as juros for financial interest) in specific financial equations. In Catalan, however, interesses or interessos covers both personal interests and stakes, as well as public or moral concerns, depending on the context.

See also: interès, interesse, interesses, conflitos d'interessos.