'Vested interest' definitions:

Definition of 'vested interest'

From: WordNet
noun
(law) an interest in which there is a fixed right to present or future enjoyment and that can be conveyed to another
noun
Groups that seek to control a social system or activity from which they derive private benefit

Definition of 'Vested interest'

From: GCIDE
  • Vested interest \Vest"ed interest\
  • 1. a special personal interest, usually financial, in an existing system, law, or institution, which hinders a person from making objective decisions regarding that system, law, or institution. A vested interest may be one which benefits a relative, or, in an extended sense, one which defends a person's own reputation or previously expressed views. [PJC]
  • 2. a right given to an employee by a pension plan, which cannot be taken away. [PJC]
  • 3. pl. the persons, corporations, or other groups which benefit most (usually financially) from the existing system of institutions, laws, and customs. [PJC]

Synonyms of 'vested interest'

From: Moby Thesaurus