disinterested

  • 1disinterested — 1. The use of disinterested to mean ‘uninterested’, although not a problem to Fowler (1926), is a keyword in current debates about correct usage. Those who rage most furiously are not always aware, however, that the word has changed its principal …

    Modern English usage

  • 2disinterested — dis·in·ter·est·ed /dis in tə rəs təd, in trəs , in tə ˌres / adj: free of any interest esp. of a pecuniary nature: impartial a disinterested person to witness the will Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …

    Law dictionary

  • 3Disinterested — Dis*in ter*est*ed, a. [Cf. {Disinteressed}.] Not influenced by regard to personal interest or advantage; free from selfish motive; having no relation of interest or feeling; not biased or prejudiced; as, a disinterested decision or judge. [1913… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4disinterested — UK US /dɪˈsɪntrəstɪd/ adjective ► someone who is disinterested will receive no personal advantage from a situation, so their advice or a decision relating to it will probably be fair: »Determination must be made by disinterested trustees or… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 5disinterested — 1610s, unconcerned, the sense we now would ascribe to UNINTERESTED (Cf. uninterested), with the sense of impartial going to disinteressed (c.1600). See DIS (Cf. dis ) + INTEREST (Cf. interest). Modern sense of disinterested is first attested… …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6disinterested — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not influenced by considerations of personal advantage; impartial. 2) having or feeling no interest. DERIVATIVES disinterestedly adverb disinterestedness noun. USAGE There is a difference between disinterested and uninterested …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7disinterested — uninterested, detached, aloof, unconcerned, *indifferent, incurious Analogous words: dispassionate, unbiased, impartial, *fair, just: *neutral, negative Antonyms: interested: prejudiced, biased …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 8disinterested — [adj] detached, uninvolved aloof, candid, casual, dispassionate, equitable, even handed, impartial, impersonal, incurious, indifferent, just watching the clock*, lackadaisical, negative, neutral, nonpartisan, not giving a damn*, outside,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 9disinterested — [dis in′trəs tid, disint′ər əs tid] adj. 1. not influenced by personal interest or selfish motives; impartial; unbiased 2. uninterested; indifferent: this usage, a revival of an obsolete meaning, is objected to by some SYN. INDIFFERENT… …

    English World dictionary

  • 10disinterested — adjective Date: circa 1612 1. a. not having the mind or feelings engaged ; not interested < telling them in a disinterested voice Tom Wicker > < disinterested in women J. A. Brussel > b. no longer interested < husband and wife become&#8230; …

    New Collegiate Dictionary