Meaning & use
an investor
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person or organization that puts money into a business, property, or financial product hoping to earn a profit later.
Grammar: Countable noun; the article changes with the sentence, so you write 'an investor' before a vowel sound and 'an investor' is wrong.
Patterns
- an investor in something
- a large/small investor
- investors buy/sell something
She became an investor in a small chain of coffee shops.
An investor who buys shares early can lose money if the company fails.
Foreign investors have shown strong interest in the local property market.
nouncountablebusiness
Someone who provides money for a project or company in exchange for a share of future profits.
Grammar: Often followed by 'in' plus the thing that receives the money: an investor in the project.
Patterns
- an investor in something
- attract investors
- a group of investors
The startup needs to attract an investor before the end of the year.
A group of investors agreed to fund the new factory.
He acts as an investor in several technology companies.
Word forms
| plural | investors |
|---|
Common combinations
- a major investor
- A major investor pulled out of the deal last week.
- attract investors
- The company is trying to attract investors for its expansion.
- an investor in something
- She is an investor in two local restaurants.
- foreign investors
- Foreign investors often prefer stable markets.
- protect investors
- New rules were introduced to protect investors from fraud.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backer
- A backer gives money or support to a person or project, often informally, while an investor usually expects a financial return.
- shareholder
- A shareholder owns shares in a company, so every shareholder is an investor, but an investor may put money into property or other assets instead.
- financier
- A financier is a professional who manages large amounts of money, a narrower and more formal word than investor.
Word family
- invest verb
- To put money into something to earn a profit.
- investment noun
- The money put in, or the act of putting it in.
- investing noun
- The activity of putting money into assets.
Commonly confused: an investor or investor vs. inventor?
an investor vs investor vs. inventor
An investor puts money into something; an inventor creates a new product or idea. The two words sound similar but mean very different things.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'an investor' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'An investor' is correct because 'investor' begins with a vowel sound, and 'in' is the usual preposition after it. Option 0 uses 'a' wrongly, option 2 uses 'on' instead of 'in', and option 3 omits the article.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an investor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.