Disinterested vs Uninterested: Examples & Meaning
Disinterested means you have nothing to gain, but uninterested means you just don’t care.
The difference between the prefixes in these words is relatively subtle, so it might seem like you could use them interchangeably. However, these words are commonly confused and cannot be used in place of one another.
Disinterested vs uninterested definitions
disinterested (adj.): having no interest (in the sense of participation, responsibility, investment, potential profit, or opinion); unbiased or impartial
uninterested (adj): showing no interest (in the sense of concern or attention); uncaring or bored
There is also a more recently developed meaning of disinterested: no longer interested, implying that at one time a person or entity was interested but no longer cares (they’ve become uninterested).
This meaning makes sense because we often use the prefix dis- to indicate a situation has changed: for instance, inherent in the word disengage is the idea that the subject was once engaged.
What is the difference between uninterested vs disinterested?
Uninterested is more about interest as a type of attention., while disinterested has a stronger focus on interest as a type of investment or involvement in something.
A person can be disinterested and still care about or want to pay attention to something. Disinterest simply means they have no bias or nothing to gain from it.
Disinterested vs uninterested: Examples and use cases
Use disinterested when you’re talking about someone who is unbiased, has no opinion or investment in something, or once cared but now doesn’t.
Use uninterested when a person simply has no care or concern about something or isn’t paying attention.
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Frequently asked questions about disinterested vs uninterested
- Are disinterested and uninterested interchangeable?
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No, disinterested and uninterested are not interchangeable. Disinterested means not invested, not involved, or not biased. But uninterested means not caring or not paying attention.
- What is a synonym for uninterested?
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Some synonyms and near-synonyms for uninterested include the following:
- Apathetic
- Indifferent
- Incurious
- Unconcerned