disinterested

American  

[dis-in-tuh-res-tid, -tri-stid] / dɪsˈɪn təˌrɛs tɪd, -trɪ stɪd /

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.

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disinterested British  

/ -tərɪs-, dɪsˈɪntrɪstɪd /

adjective

1. free from bias or partiality; objective

2. not interested

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Usage

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

Commonly Confused

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.

Related Words

See fair ¹.

Other Word Forms

• disinterestedly
  adverb
• disinterestedness
  noun
• nondisinterested
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of disinterested

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

Explanation

If you can't decide whether to purchase the shirt with orange polka dots or the purple paisley-patterned one, you might seek input from a disinterested, or unbiased, party (who will probably tell you not to buy either one). Depending on whom you ask, disinterested is either one of the most commonly misused words in the English language, or a perfect example of usage experts and English teachers being way too uptight. While everyone agrees that disinterested can mean “unbiased,” the debate rages on as to whether it can also mean “uninterested” or “indifferent.” Sticklers are vehemently opposed to this secondary meaning. (Of course, you’ll also find the disinterested — or uninterested? — folks who couldn’t care less.)

Example Sentences

For a team with everything to play for, the Kings looked distracted and disinterested.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Peter Henriques, an admirer of Washington who has recently published two insightful books on his character, writes that Washington “was not a ‘selfless’ man or one who was simply engaging in disinterested service.

From Slate • Feb. 16, 2026

In ‘Critique of Judgment,’ Immanuel Kant argues that taste—the discerning appreciation of the beautiful and good—requires the critic to remain disinterested, unmoved by their own feelings of delight or aversion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Miedema can sometimes look disinterested, or seem uninvolved, but that's just how she plays - it means she is sometimes underestimated, when she is always dangerous.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025

Even when Maggie and Kate were exhausted, sad, or disinterested, they still had to make the rounds of social functions, whether in Washington, DC, or any city in which they appeared.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

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