investir

Investir is a French verb meaning to invest or to place capital or other resources into something with the expectation of future benefit. In finance, it refers to committing money to assets, projects or financial instruments to generate returns. In everyday language it can also mean dedicating time, effort or attention to a person, project or activity.

The term comes from Latin investire and entered Old French as investir before becoming standard in modern French. The Latin root combines in- “in” with vestire “to clothe,” originally conveying the sense of investing with resources or authority, a meaning that broadened to financial allocation over time.

In financial use, investment strategies vary with risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs. Common asset classes include stocks, bonds, real estate, funds and commodities. Key concepts include diversification, due diligence, expected return and risk-adjusted return, as well as tax considerations. Investors may pursue active management, aiming to outperform benchmarks, or passive approaches, such as index tracking or buy-and-hold strategies.

Beyond money, investir also appears in non-financial contexts. S’investir means to commit oneself to a cause or project. The verb is used in phrases about funding initiatives or allocating resources to institutions or enterprises, as in investir des fonds or investir in a startup.

See also: investissement (the noun form), financial markets, asset allocation, risk management.