Definition "Interest" is one of the keywords in the bodies of literature on interest groups and lobbying, as well as in various theoretical paradigms such as political realism or public choice; and yet, the concept of interest is far from being univocally understood. In fact, the word is surrounded by an aura of ambiguity, a factor that has probably contributed to the success of the concept itself. By momentarily putting the mere economic technical meaning aside (interest as interest rate), various definitions of interest can be outlined: The Etymology of the Term The word "interest" as a noun in itself appears in the European languages (the English "interest," the Italian "interesse" or "interesso," the French "intérêt," the German "Interesse" or the Spanish "interés") around the thirteenth century.
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