detached
Americanadjective
-
not attached; separated.
a detached ticket stub.
- Antonyms:
- attached
-
having no wall in common with another building (opposed to attached).
a detached house.
- Antonyms:
- attached
-
impartial or objective; disinterested; unbiased.
a detached judgment.
- Synonyms:
- unprejudiced, dispassionate, evenhanded, neutral, uninvolved
-
not involved or concerned; aloof.
adjective
-
disconnected or standing apart; not attached
a detached house
-
having or showing no bias or emotional involvement; disinterested
-
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
-
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 Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of detached
Explanation
If something is detached, it stands apart from something else. That goes for people, emotions, retinas, garages, and just about anything else that can be disconnected or uninvolved. In the simplest sense, detached means "not attached." Which is a fine state to be in if you're talking about houses (it means they're not connected, like row houses) or your neighbor's aggressive dog (who was chomping down on your leg a few minutes ago). But if a person is emotionally detached, be careful: They're not in touch with their own emotions, or very interested in understanding yours.
Vocabulary lists containing detached
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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A Monster Calls
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"A Noiseless Patient Spider" by Walt Whitman
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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.
They were selling the three-bedroom terrace they'd renovated and buying her parents' four-bedroom detached house in the countryside.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Video of the incident emerged showing the cockpit apparently becoming detached from the rotor.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
The sprawling compound comes with a detached three-bedroom guesthouse, an office with an apartment above the garage, and expansive terraces.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
On a tree-lined street in the affluent Duboce Triangle residential neighbourhood of San Francisco, the top half of a white, Edwardian-era, detached house was drawing visitors from prospective buyers.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
How is it possible for a historical activity, such as scientific activity, to produce trans-historical truths, independent of history, detached from all bonds with both place and time and therefore eternally and universally valid?
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
