investor

investor — noun

1. someone who supplies money to a business, project, or financial product such as

1.nounB2
Definition

someone who supplies money to a business, project, or financial product such as shares, hoping to get back more than they put in.

Example

Theo became an investor in a local bakery after tasting its cakes.

investor in [business]: specifies the venture backed

Many investors sold their company shares when the market fell sharply.

Common collocations
  • institutional investor
  • individual investor
  • foreign investor
  • angel investor
  • investor confidence
  • investor protection
Synonyms
  • shareholder

    narrower — specifically owns shares in a company, whereas an investor may put money into any venture

  • backer

    less formal — often used for supporting a specific project, person, or creative work

  • financier

    more formal — typically refers to someone providing large amounts of capital for major deals

Antonyms
  • borrower

    takes money rather than providing it

Usage Note

Frequently appears with the preposition 'in' (investor in something) and with adjectives describing risk level, such as risk-averse investor or institutional investor.

Common Mistakes

She is an investor of a new restaurant.
She is an investor in a new restaurant.
the correct preposition after 'investor' is 'in', not 'of'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An investor is anyone who provides money expecting a return, while a shareholder specifically owns shares in a company, giving them partial ownership rights. A backer is a less formal term, often used for supporting a specific project, person, or creative work through funding. A financier is more formal and typically refers to someone who provides large amounts of capital for major business deals. A funder is a broad term, often used for organizations such as governments or foundations that provide money for a specific purpose without necessarily seeking profit. In everyday use, investor is the most common choice for general financial contexts, while shareholder is preferred when discussing stock ownership.

shareholder ↗backerfinancierfunder

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • angel investor
  • institutional investor
  • foreign investor
  • retail investor
  • private investor

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

From Latin investire, meaning 'to clothe' or 'to surround'. The word passed through Italian investire (to give money, to clothe with authority) and French investir before entering English. The financial sense emerged in the early 1600s, based on the idea of 'clothing' money in a new form such as shares or property, with the expectation of future returns.