disinterest
Americannoun
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lack of interest; indifference.
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the absence of bias or self-interest; impartiality.
verb (used with object)
noun
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freedom from bias or involvement
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lack of interest; indifference
verb
Etymology
Origin of disinterest
Explanation
Disinterest is a lack of curiosity or attachment, like your complete disinterest in your younger sister's scene-by-scene recap of the plot of her favorite cartoon. One kind of disinterest is simply a lack of enthusiasm, like your disinterest in sports or local politics: you just don't care. Another kind of disinterest is more of a neutrality or impartiality. A mediator, judge, or negotiator needs this type of disinterest in order to hear two opposing viewpoints without prejudice. Disinterest comes from the prefix dis-, "lack of," and interest, from the Latin interresse, "to concern, make a difference, or be of importance."
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.
From the comedians’ own unravelings, failure to evolve to the audiences’ bad-faith misreadings, or sheer disinterest, to say there’s a disconnect between the two groups is to put it lightly.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
In one sequence, Claude Bessy, a Paris Opera étoile, plays a model, wooed by her lover and eating a sandwich with the most royal disinterest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Senate Majority Leader John Thune isn’t concealing his disinterest in what the House is offering, saying that he wants to focus on government funding instead.
From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2026
“It’s not out of disinterest on our part,” Hall adds — a slight caveat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
Grigori’s gaze scrolled over me in disinterest, and why wouldn’t it?
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
