someone who commits capital in order to gain financial returns
"The venture capitalist acted as an investor by committing millions of dollars to the startup in hopes of securing a significant financial return when it goes public."
A person who invests money in order to make a profit.
"The local investor bought shares in the startup hoping for a significant return on his initial capital."
In plain English: An investor is someone who puts money into a business or project with the hope of making a profit later.
"The investor bought shares in the new tech startup to grow their wealth."
Usage: An investor is someone who commits capital to a business or financial asset with the expectation of earning a return. You can use this term to describe anyone buying stocks, bonds, or real estate for profit, rather than just contributing funds without expecting gain.
The word investor comes from combining the Latin root invest- with the agent suffix -or. It originally referred to someone who put money into a venture and has come to mean anyone who provides capital for business or financial gain.