detached
Americanadjective
-
not attached; separated.
a detached ticket stub.
- Antonyms:
- attached
-
having no wall in common with another building (attached ).
a detached house.
- Antonyms:
- attached
-
impartial or objective; disinterested; unbiased.
a detached judgment.
- Synonyms:
- unprejudiced, dispassionate, evenhanded, neutral, uninvolved
-
not involved or concerned; aloof.
adjective
-
disconnected or standing apart; not attached
a detached house
-
having or showing no bias or emotional involvement; disinterested
-
social welfare working at the clients' normal location rather than from an office; not dependent on premises for providing a service Compare outreach
a detached youth worker
-
ophthalmol (of the retina) separated from the choroid layer of the eyeball to which it is normally attached, resulting in loss of vision in the affected part
Other Word Forms
- detachedly adverb
- detachedness noun
- undetached adjective
Etymology
Origin of detached
Explanation
If something is detached, it stands apart from something else. That goes for people, emotions, retinas, garages, and just about anything else that can be disconnected or uninvolved. In the simplest sense, detached means "not attached." Which is a fine state to be in if you're talking about houses (it means they're not connected, like row houses) or your neighbor's aggressive dog (who was chomping down on your leg a few minutes ago). But if a person is emotionally detached, be careful: They're not in touch with their own emotions, or very interested in understanding yours.
Vocabulary lists containing detached
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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A Monster Calls
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"A Noiseless Patient Spider" by Walt Whitman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“If he actually believed this stuff he had become significantly detached from reality.”
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
"I was completely detached from reality. It was really scary and I was admitted to a general psychiatric ward and separated from my baby at the time."
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
California is largely detached from the rest of the fuel distribution system.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
The same mindset governs: evidentiary maximalism detached from clinical reality, indifference to patient urgency, and hostility to the flexibility Congress intended.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
I can no longer even feign being cool and detached.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
