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disinterested
7 dictionary results for: disinterested
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
dis·in·ter·est·ed 
[dis-in-tuh-res-tid, -tri-stid] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
[dis-in-tuh-res-tid, -tri-stid] Pronunciation Key –adjective
| 1. | unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives: a disinterested decision by the referee. |
| 2. | not interested; indifferent. |
—Related forms
dis·in·ter·est·ed·ly, adverb
dis·in·ter·est·ed·ness, noun
—Antonyms 1. partial, biased.
—Usage note 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.
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| dis·in·ter·est
(dĭs-ĭn'tər-ĭst, -ĭn'trĭst) Pronunciation Key
n.
tr.v. To divest of interest. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| dis·in·ter·est·ed
(dĭs-ĭn'trĭ-stĭd, -ĭn'tə-rěs'tĭd) Pronunciation Key
adj.
dis·in'ter·est·ed·ly adv., dis·in'ter·est·ed·ness n. Usage Note: In traditional usage, disinterested can only mean "having no stake in an outcome," as in Since the judge stands to profit from the sale of the company, she cannot be considered a disinterested party in the dispute. This usage was acceptable to 97 percent of the Usage Panel in our 2001 survey. But despite critical disapproval, disinterested has come to be widely used by many educated writers to mean "uninterested" or "having lost interest," as in Since she discovered skiing, she is disinterested in her schoolwork. Oddly enough, "not interested" is the oldest sense of the word, going back to the 17th century. This sense became outmoded in the 18th century but underwent a revival in the first quarter of the early 20th. Despite its resuscitation, this usage is widely considered an error. In our 2001 survey, 88 percent of the Usage Panel rejected the sentence It is difficult to imagine an approach better designed to prevent disinterested students from developing any intellectual maturity. This is not a significantly different proportion from the 89 percent who disapproved of a similar usage in 1988. |
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
disinterested
disinterested
c.1612, "unconcerned," the sense we now would ascribe to uninterested; with the sense of "impartial" going to disinteressed (1603). Modern meaning of disinterested is first attested 1659. As things now stand, disinterested means "free from personal bias," while uninterested means "caring nothing for the matter in question."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: dis·in·ter·est·ed
Pronunciation: dis-'in-t&-r&s-t&d, -'in-tr&s-, -'in-t&-"res-
Function: adjective
: free of any interest esp. of a pecuniary nature : IMPARTIAL disinterested person to witness the will>
Main Entry: dis·in·ter·est·ed
Pronunciation: dis-'in-t&-r&s-t&d, -'in-tr&s-, -'in-t&-"res-
Function: adjective
: free of any interest esp. of a pecuniary nature : IMPARTIAL disinterested person to witness the will>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Disinterested
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. The happiness of disinterested sacrifices. --Channing. Syn: Unbiased; impartial; uninterested; indifferent.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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