Everyday · Often misused · Law & order
Disinterested: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Disinterested adjective. Not swayed by any personal gain; impartial.
How to say it
dis-IN-truh-stid/dɪsˈɪntrɪstɪd/
4 syllables, stressed on the second (IN).
Disinterested in a sentence
We need a disinterested referee, not somebody's uncle.
Her advice was disinterested: she earned nothing whichever way we chose.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- impartial
- neutral
- unbiased
- objective
Opposite:
- biased
- partial
- partisan
Careful
Careful writers keep disinterested for impartial and uninterested for bored. The 'bored' sense is common (and in fact older), but many readers still object, and you lose a word for 'impartial'.
Where disinterested comes from
From dis-, not, and interested in its old sense of having a stake in something.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Her advice was _____: she earned nothing whichever way we chose.
- disinterested
- restive
- meretricious
Show the answer
disinterested: Her advice was disinterested: she earned nothing whichever way we chose.