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

Disinterested observers might note that his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones is 25 years his junior, just as Bailey’s spouse, Catherine Dyer, is 23 years younger than the photographer.

From The Guardian • Dec. 2, 2017

Disinterested, Drake sets down the controller, leaves home, and charts his own adventure.

From The Verge • May 10, 2016

Disinterested in playing damsels in distress, she says, she could think of only one way forward: She’d write her own roles.

From Time • Sep. 25, 2015

Disinterested means unbiased or impartial; uninterested means bored or indifferent.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2014

He maintains the existence of Disinterested Benevolence, by saying that Disinterested action, as opposed to direct self-regard, is a much wider fact of our mental system, than the regard to the welfare of others.

From Moral Science; a Compendium of Ethics by Bain, Alexander

Related Words

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