detachment
Americannoun
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the act of detaching.
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the condition of being detached.
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aloofness, as from worldly affairs or from the concerns of others.
- Synonyms:
- unconcern, indifference, coolness
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freedom from prejudice or partiality.
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the act of sending out a detached force of troops or naval ships.
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the body of troops or ships so detached.
noun
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indifference to other people or to one's surroundings; aloofness
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freedom from self-interest or bias; disinterest
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the act of disengaging or separating something
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the condition of being disengaged or separated; disconnection
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military
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the separation of a small unit from its main body, esp of ships or troops
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the unit so detached
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a branch office of a police force
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logic the rule whereby the consequent of a true conditional statement, given the truth of its antecedent, may be asserted on its own See also modus ponens
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of detachment
From the French word détachement, dating back to 1660–70. See detach, -ment
Explanation
A state of being distant or standoffish is detachment. Your detachment might mean that you don't cry on the last day of school with all your friends — you're just not that emotionally involved. When you have a sense of detachment from your surroundings, you're a bit aloof or apart, especially in an emotional way. A more physical kind of detachment is an actual coming apart, when something breaks or separates: "The detachment of the wall and the baseboard made it hard to paint the kitchen." Finally, there is a military meaning of detachment — a unit or group of soldiers sent on a separate mission.
Vocabulary lists containing detachment
The Pearl
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Farewell to Manzanar
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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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.
Detachment isn’t an issue in Flynn’s production, which keeps such a tight focus on the actors that the human drama fully emerges.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Detachment from the dollar-centric financial system could be one reason for the gain.
From Barron's • Oct. 17, 2025
The skull, found in Mountain Detachment, was reported around 9 a.m. by a caller who provided a photo and location, the department said Tuesday in an online blotter post.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2023
"Detachment" is a similar story in many ways.
From Salon • Jan. 28, 2022
“Justice” Panza, one of the commanders of the Luthuli Detachment, was later imprisoned with us.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
