disinterested

[dis-in-tuh-res-tid, -tri-stid]

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.

disinterested

/ -tərɪs-, dɪsˈɪntrɪstɪd /

adjective

1. free from bias or partiality; objective

2. not interested

Usage

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

Confusables Note

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.

Other Word Forms

• disinterestedly adverb
• disinterestedness noun
• nondisinterested adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disinterested¹

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

Synonym Study

See fair ¹.

Example Sentences

Albert recalled how there were training sessions when Asprilla was disinterested and "with us without being with us".

Read more on BBC

“I loved playing baseball, but once I started playing professionally, I was bored. I was disinterested.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.

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It’s the biggest spike since the inauguration, and it shows that voters aren’t disinterested in democracy, but alienated from the existing options.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“They might not have the right skills, they might not have the physical strength and stamina. They might not be able to or they might be really disinterested in that kind of work.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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