English

Adjective

disinterested ‎(comparative more disinterested, superlative most disinterested)

1. Having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial. [from 17th c.]
   • 1791, James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson:

     Sir, you have a right to that kind of respect, and are arguing for yourself. I am supporting the principle, and am disinterested in doing it, as I have no such right.

   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, ch. 1:

     With his disinterested passion for art, he had a real desire to call the attention of the wise to a talent which was in the highest degree original; [...]

   • 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin 2012, p. 220:

     People are better off abjuring violence, if everyone else agrees to do so, and vesting authority in a disinterested third party.

   • 2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), London, page R10:

     [P]hilosophers of the time [early 20th century] were primarily concerned with epistemology and the foundations of the sciences; they often spoke as if we were separated from the real world by a screen of "representations" or "sense-data"; they tended to regard our approach to the world as one of disinterested observation.

2. Uninterested, lacking interest. [from 17th c.]
   • 1684, Contempl. State of Man I. x

     How dis-interested are they in all Worldly matters, since they fling their Wealth and Riches into the Sea.

   • 1936, Djuna Barnes, Nightwood, Faber & Faber 2007, p. 43:

     Robin took to wandering again, to intermittent travel from which she came back hours, days later, disinterested.

   • 1967, Tommy Frazer, The Sun (Baltimore), "A 'Doctor' Of Karate", March 27

     Those spotted are usually taught so slowly that they grow disinterested and quit.

Usage notes

• Leading authorities consider usage of this word with the meaning of uninterested acceptable,^[1] although the OED specifies this is "Often regarded as a loose use."^[2] The contrary opinion can still be found.^[3]

Translations

References

1. ↑ A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 2nd Edition by H.W. Fowler, revised by Ernest Gowers (1965; Oxford at the Clarendon Press; London).
2. ↑ “disinterested”, in OED Online, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
3. ↑ An ABC of English Usage, H.A. Treble and G.H Vallins (1968; Oxford at the Clarendon Press; London.