disinterested
adjective
Tom WickerJ. A. BrusselT. I. RubinG. M. Trevelyan
Disinterested vs. Uninterested: Usage Guide
Disinterested and uninterested have a tangled history. Uninterested originally meant impartial, but this sense fell into disuse during the 18th century. About the same time the original sense of disinterested also disappeared, with uninterested developing a new sense—the present meaning—to take its place. The original sense of uninterested is still out of use, but the original sense of disinterested revived in the early 20th century. The revival has since been under frequent attack as an illiteracy and a blurring or loss of a useful distinction. Actual usage shows otherwise. The "free from selfish interest" sense of disinterested is still its most frequent sense, especially in edited prose; it shows no sign of vanishing. Further, disinterested has developed an additional sense—"no longer interested"—perhaps influenced by the "deprive of" sense of the prefix dis-, that contrasts with uninterested.
Jack London, letter, 1914
Still, use of the "not interested" and "no longer interested" senses of disinterested will incur the disapproval of some who may not fully appreciate the history of this word or the subtleties of its present use.
Synonyms
Examples of disinterested in a Sentence
Dana O'Neil, The Athletic, 26 July 2024
Kate often seems like a spin on C.J. Cregg, Janney’s character on The West Wing — assertive, witty, disinterested in fashion — and so the series casting Janney to play a foil for Kate felt inevitable.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
To qualify for the business judgment rule, a company must meet the two MFW conditions: a wholly independent special committee and approval by a majority of disinterested stockholders.
—Priya Cherian Huskins, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
The special committee, composed of independent and disinterested directors, was formed in response to interest expressed by Erik and Pete Nordstrom earlier this year in exploring a possible transaction.
—David Moin, WWD, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for disinterested 
Dictionary Entries Near disinterested
Cite this Entry
“Disinterested.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disinterested. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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