noun
- a special interest in an existing system, arrangement, or institution for particular personal reasons.
- a permanent right given to an employee under a pension plan.
- vested interests, the persons, groups, etc., who benefit the most from existing business or financial systems.
noun
- property law an existing and disposable right to the immediate or future possession and enjoyment of property
- a strong personal concern in a state of affairs, system, etc, usually resulting in private gain
- a person or group that has such an interest
A phrase that indicates a deep personal (and possibly financial) interest in some political or economic proposal: “As a major stockholder of the Ford Motor Company, Senator Bilge had a vested interest in legislation restricting the import of Japanese autos.” The plural, vested interests, often refers to powerful, wealthy property holders: “His radical policies enraged vested interests.”
A personal stake in something, as in She has a vested interest in keeping the house in her name. This term, first recorded in 1818, uses vested in the sense of “established” or “secured.”