text: defintion of investment?   investment is anything purchased that you expect (or more accurately hope) to increase in value over time or that will return more than you invested in the first place (ie, granting a loan or opening an interest bearing account).  this could be anything from a pretty wide range of items including shares in a business (stock is exactly that), a loan you make, real estate, collectable cars or other objects, etc.  investments almost always carry some risk (how much varies) that you will not get the expected return and/or that you could end up with less than you started.  ps.  money isn't the only thing you can invest, sometimes it is capital goods or your time.