disinterested, uninterested Definition

1. Not having an interest in a particular matter; impartial, objective.

Thesaurus: neutral, impartial, equitable, fair, just, even-handed; Antonym: biased, prejudiced.
2. colloq
Showing no interest; uninterested.
Thesaurus: indifferent, apathetic, dispassionate, aloof; Antonym: concerned.

○ Disinterested used to mean the same as uninterested, but has developed the separate meaning given as sense 1, 'impartial'. The two words therefore relate to different senses of interest. The difference can be seen in the following examples&wbox; (= not personally involved in it)&wbox; (= not interested in it or concerned about it).

○ Disinterested is not usually followed by in, although uninterested often is.