Disinterested
/dɪsˈɪntərɪstɪd/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Disinterested means being fair and not influenced by personal feelings or benefits. A disinterested person looks at facts without wanting to gain or lose anything. This word is often used when talking about judges, referees, or anyone who must be neutral.
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See It in Action
Fair and impartial, without personal interest
- •The judge was disinterested and made a fair decision.
- •A disinterested observer can give a clear opinion.
- •It's important to have a disinterested person in a conflict to help solve it.
Sometimes confused with "uninterested" (not caring), but disinterested means neutral, not bored
- •She was disinterested in the negotiation, acting as a neutral party.
- •He was uninterested in the movie and left early.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "disinterested" like "neutral" (A2 word), but used especially to show no personal gain or bias
- ✓Picture a judge sitting quietly, listening carefully without choosing sides or wanting a result for themselves
- ✓It's the feeling when you watch a game as a friend, not caring who wins or loses, just enjoying the play
- ✓Sounds like "dis-interest-ed" → imagine someone who has no "interest" (like no personal reason) in the outcome
- ✓Think of a referee in sports who must be disinterested to make fair decisions, not cheering for any team
- ✓NOT like "uninterested" (which means not caring or bored), disinterested means caring but being fair and unbiased
- ✓NOT like "interested" (which means wanting to be involved or affected), disinterested means no personal involvement or gain
Try Other Words
- •Impartial: fair and not supporting any side (Use when emphasizing fairness in decisions)
- •Unbiased: without prejudice or personal opinion (Use when focusing on lack of personal opinion)
- •Neutral: not supporting any side (Use when describing a position between two choices)
- •Objective: based on facts, not feelings (Use when focusing on fact-based fairness)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "dis-" meaning "not" or "without"
- •Root: "interest" meaning personal attention, care, or benefit
- •Suffix: "-ed" forming an adjective meaning having the quality of no interest
- •Origin: From Latin "dis-" + "interest" (to be of importance), meaning without personal importance or bias
- •Historical use: Originally meant impartial or unbiased; sometimes confused today with "uninterested"
- •Modern use: Used to describe fairness, especially in legal, business, or formal settings
Reflect & Connect
•How can being disinterested help someone make better decisions in difficult situations?
•Can a person be disinterested and still care about the outcome? How does that work?
Fill in the blanks
1.A disinterested judge must ___ any personal feelings to be fair in court.
2.When someone is disinterested, they do not ___ any side or outcome.
3.Unlike uninterested, disinterested means to be fair, not to ___ the situation.
4.A referee should be disinterested so that they can ___ the game without bias.
5.People often ask for a disinterested opinion when they want ___ advice.
6.If a person has a personal gain, they cannot be truly disinterested because they have a ___.
7.A disinterested observer watches without ___ in the result.