disinterested
Americanadjective
-
unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives.
a disinterested decision by the referee.
- Synonyms:
- dispassionate, unprejudiced, neutral, impartial
-
not interested; indifferent.
adjective
-
free from bias or partiality; objective
-
not interested
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.
Synonym Usage
See fair 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.)
Vocabulary lists containing disinterested
The Bluest Eye
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Theodore Roosevelt on "The Man with the Muck Rake" (1906)
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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.
The disinterested universe that serves as backdrop to Mr. Diaz’s world imposes no small amount of irony on Magellan’s campaign to convert the natives.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
For a team with everything to play for, the Kings looked distracted and disinterested.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026
Private equity, hedge funds, venture capital: For ambitious and high-functioning individuals, making morally disinterested, data-driven strategic decisions is the most obvious path to wealth and status.
From Slate • Jul. 10, 2025
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.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025
These ladies seemed most disinterested in setting on their eggs.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
