detached

[ dih-tacht ]

adjective

1. not attached; separated:

   a detached ticket stub.

   Antonyms: attached

2. having no wall in common with another building ( attached ):

   a detached house.

   Antonyms: attached

3. impartial or objective; disinterested; unbiased:

   a detached judgment.

   Synonyms: uninvolved, unprejudiced, dispassionate, evenhanded, neutral

4. not involved or concerned; aloof.

detached

/ dɪˈtætʃt /

adjective

1. disconnected or standing apart; not attached

   a detached house

2. having or showing no bias or emotional involvement; disinterested
3. See outreach
   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

4. 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 Words From

• de·tached·ly [dih-, tach, -id-lee, -, tacht, -lee], adverb
• de·tached·ness noun
• unde·tached adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of detached¹

First recorded in 1700–10; detach + -ed ²

Example Sentences

It’s a detached, spiky little adolescent love story about two 15-year-olds, Sarah and David.

From Vox

During this timeframe, multiple offers were prevalent for homes of many shapes and sizes—from the attached townhouse downtown to the detached single-family home in the suburbs.

From Washington Blade

Just as most amputees report what’s known as “phantom limb,” the feeling that their detached appendage is still there, surviving spouses frequently report seeing or sensing their departed partner.

From Popular-Science

You live in a semi-detached colonial with a gabled porch in a neighborhood of lawyers and professors.

From MIT Technology Review

Nonetheless, Vulture’s deep dive into Quibi is worth reading to get a sense of just how detached Katzenberg and Quibi CEO Meg Whitman seem to be from their target audience.

From Digiday

This is comedy based on a cold humor, detached, euphemistic, devoid of any generosity.

From The Daily Beast

Even more, these discussions often seem detached from real-world experience.

From The Daily Beast

Soon, Egan begins to unravel—haunted by the high body counts, the civilian casualties, and the bizarre, detached nature of it all.

From The Daily Beast

People are locked in texting, or whatever it is on their screens, and detached from their physical surroundings.

From The Daily Beast

It also stems from the fact that Congress seems utterly detached from the rest of the nation, or even the planet.

From The Daily Beast

She stabbed him, noting the effect upon him with a detached interest that seemed indifferent to his pain.

From Project Gutenberg

With each division, in addition to the divisional staff, there were officers detached from the headquarters staff.

From Project Gutenberg

Only at moments was he aware of this—a kind of higher Self, detached from shifting moods, looked on calmly and took note.

From Project Gutenberg

Ten paces along Bond Street he encountered a small, stooping figure which became detached from the shadows of a shop door.

From Project Gutenberg

To add further to his difficulties, d'Erlon's corps was detached from his command without his knowledge.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abstract
• casual
• dispassionate
• distant
• impartial
• impersonal
• indifferent
• laid-back
• remote
• removed
• unbiased