disinterested, uninterested
- disinterested, uninterested
"Gerulaitis, after appearing almost disinterested in the first set, took a 5-1 lead in the second" (New York Times). A participant in a tennis match might appear uninterested, but he would be unlikely to be disinterested, which means neutral and impartial. A disinterested person is one who has no stake in the outcome of an event; an uninterested person is one who doesn't care. As with discomfit and discomfort (see above), the distinction is a useful one and well worth fighting for.
Dictionary of troublesome word.
Bill Bryson.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
disinterested, uninterested — Disinterested means impartial, unbiased, not influenced by selfish motives. Uninterested suggests aloofness, indifference, or lack of interest. Say The judge rendered a disinterested verdict and The judge was uninterested in the courtroom… … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
disinterested / uninterested — Disinterested is an adjective that means unbiased or impartial : Since she had nothing at stake, she was a disinterested party in the matter. Uninterested means not interested : Anita Job was just uninterested in the offer … Confused words
disinterested / uninterested — Disinterested is an adjective that means unbiased or impartial : Since she had nothing at stake, she was a disinterested party in the matter. Uninterested means not interested : Anita Job was just uninterested in the offer … Confused words
disinterested, uninterested — Gerulaitis, after appearing almost disinterested in the first set, took a 5 1 lead in the second (New York Times). A participant in a tennis match might appear uninterested, but he would be unlikely to be disinterested, which means neutral… … Dictionary of troublesome word
disinterested — uninterested, detached, aloof, unconcerned, *indifferent, incurious Analogous words: dispassionate, unbiased, impartial, *fair, just: *neutral, negative Antonyms: interested: prejudiced, biased … New Dictionary of Synonyms
disinterested — adjective 1) disinterested advice Syn: unbiased, unprejudiced, impartial, neutral, nonpartisan, detached, uninvolved, objective, dispassionate, impersonal, clinical; open minded, fair, just, equitable, balanced, evenhanded … Thesaurus of popular words
uninterested — See disinterested. See disinterested, uninterested … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
uninterested — un|in|terest|ed [ʌnˈıntrıstıd] adj not interested →↑disinterested uninterested in ▪ He was uninterested in politics … Dictionary of contemporary English
disinterested — See disinterested, uninterested … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
disinterested — 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
