compound interest

compound interest definition - business

compound interest

Interest paid both on principal and on interest earned during previous compounding periods. Essentially, compounding involves adding interest to the sum of principal and any previous interest in order to calculate interest in the next period. Compare simple interest. See also frequency of compounding.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Business Terms Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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