disinterested

[ dis-in-tuh-res-tid, -tri-stid ]

adjective

1. unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives:

   a disinterested decision by the referee.

   Synonyms: dispassionate, unprejudiced, neutral, impartial

   Antonyms: biased, partial

2. not interested; indifferent.

disinterested

/ -tərɪs-; dɪsˈɪntrɪstɪd /

adjective

1. free from bias or partiality; objective
2. not interested

Usage

Many people consider that the use of disinterested to mean not interested is incorrect and that uninterested should be used

Confusables Note

Disinterested and uninterested share a confused and confusing history. Disinterested was originally used to mean “not interested, indifferent”; uninterested in its earliest use meant “impartial.” By various developmental twists, disinterested is now used in both senses. Uninterested is used mainly in the sense “not interested, indifferent.” It is occasionally used to mean “not having a personal or property interest.” Many object to the use of disinterested to mean “not interested, indifferent.” They insist that disinterested can mean only “impartial”: A disinterested observer is the best judge of behavior. However, both senses are well established in all varieties of English, and the sense intended is almost always clear from the context.

Derived Forms

• disˈinterestedly, adverb
• disˈinterestedness, noun

Other Words From

• dis·inter·ested·ly adverb
• dis·inter·ested·ness noun
• nondis·inter·est·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disinterested¹

First recorded in 1605–15; dis- ¹ + interested

Synonym Study

See fair ¹.

Example Sentences

Tyson has not fought as a professional in 19 years and appeared disinterested as Paul dominated the microphone.

From BBC

From your clinical point of view, how are you making sense of the many tens of millions of Americans who are either indifferent, disinterested or don't care about what is an existential election, one that will literally impact their lives, safety, security and prosperity?

From Salon

“I could not put them back into an environment that was unable to meet their needs, leaving them confused, feeling disillusioned, disinterested and confused, as they were unable to understand or hear”.

From BBC

This is true of every vice-presidential debate, of course—but the issue-centricity of Tuesday’s debate felt especially fake because, in most other settings, JD Vance has been plainly disinterested in running an issue-centric campaign.

From Slate

The tone is a far cry from the disinterested one Trump put on for Fox News immediately after Swift's endorsement of Harris earlier this week.

From Salon

Related Words

• aloof
• casual
• dispassionate
• impartial
• indifferent
• neutral
• unbiased
• unselfish