disinterested

Disinterested is an adjective meaning impartial and uninfluenced by personal concerns, stake, or bias. It conveys freedom from self-interest in judgment or evaluation.

Historically, disinterested comes from Latin dis- “not” and interesse “to be of consequence,” passing into English with the sense of not having a stake in the outcome and thus being unbiased. Over time, the word has retained its primary emphasis on lack of personal interest or involvement.

Distinction from uninterested: uninterested means not interested, indifferent, or bored. Disinterested means not biased or influenced by personal considerations. Because of common misuse, many style guides recommend using disinterested for impartiality and uninterested for not interested, though some contemporary usage treats the terms as overlapping in casual contexts.

Usage examples illustrate the difference: a disinterested judge weighs evidence without regard to personal gain, while the audience was uninterested in the speaker’s argument.

Related terms include impartial, objective, neutral, and bias. In careful writing, disinterested should describe impartiality, whereas uninterested should describe a lack of interest or engagement.