The adjectives ‘disinterested’ and ‘uninterested’ are often misconstrued and are used synonymously because of their relationship with the word interest. While ‘disinterested‘ refers to detached or uninvolved in something, ‘uninterested‘ is just the opposite of the word interested which indicates the absence of interest in something. Let’s go through the examples given below to understand the difference between disinterested and uninterested:
- The company’s management is looking for a disinterested mediator to resolve the dispute with the trade union but they don’t want him/her to be uninterested.
- I thought the investigator appointed for the case was disinterested, but he was actually uninterested.
So, with the above examples, you might have understood that the two adjectives are used at different places in a sentence, wherein disinterested refers to neutral, unbiased and independent. On the contrary, uninterested means the one who doesn’t really care about what’s going on.
Content: Disinterested Vs Uninterested
Comparison Chart
| Basis for Comparison | Disinterested | Uninterested |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Disinterested means uninfluenced by the thought of personal benefit. | Uninterested means having no interest in something. |
| Represents | Lack of self-interest | Lack of interest |
| Involvement | The person has no involvement with the matter. | The person does not want to be involved in the matter. |
| Person | A disinterested person is impartial and unbiased. | An uninterested person is bored and oblivious. |
| Example | The umpire gives a disinterested decision during the cricket match. | She said that she is not coming with use in an uninterested voice. |
| The officer said that he will perform a disinterested research. | We are totally uninterested in watching the drama, going on in the college. |
Definition of Disinterested
The word ‘disinterested’ describes a person with no personal involvement or gain/loss in a particular case, situation or matter. This means that a disinterested person is neutral, independent and impartial as he receives no profit in favouring any party to the argument. So, he/she can act in a just and fair manner and give an unbiased opinion/judgement.
Examples:
- I have checked the trustworthiness of the online shopping site, by reading the reviews of the disinterested customers.
- We are looking for a disinterested judge to solve the matter out of the court.
- The counsellor offered the patient a piece of disinterested advice, to help him recover from the trauma easily and quickly.
Definition of Uninterested
The word ‘uninterested’ is used for someone who is not excited for something, or who do not want to be involved in a particular situation, case or matter. That means an uninterested person is the one who stays out of that matter by not showing any sign of interest, enthusiasm, attention, concern and so forth.
Examples:
- He is totally uninterested in solving mathematical problems.
- Nowadays youths are uninterested in politics.
- Even after hearing the news, she seems uninterested.
Key Differences Between Disinterested and Uninterested
The difference between disinterested and uninterested are discussed in the points given below:
- The word ‘disinterested’ is used to talk about someone who has no involvement or relation with the case or matter and can thus make fair decisions or judgment. On the other hand, The word ‘uninterested’ is used for a person who is not interested or does not show any sign of interest in something, i.e. indifferent.
- When a person is free from any selfish motive, or personal gain, we say he/she is disinterested, due to which the person can act in a just and fair way. As against, when a person is uninterested he/she is said to be incurious, unenthusiastic or unconcerned about something, i.e. the person is not having any interest in that particular matter.
- The word ‘uninterested’ shows a lack of interest in something, whereas, the word ‘disinterested’ indicates a lack of self-interest in something.
- If a person is disinterested, it means that the person neither has any involvement with the case, nor he/she will be affected by the consequence. Conversely, if a person is uninterested, he/she doesn’t want to jump into the matter, i.e. he/she is not willing to involve in the case in any way.
Examples
Disinterested
- The auditor has given a disinterested opinion in his report, about the company.
- I think you should ask a disinterested person about the two ideas, that are going on in your mind.
- The teacher offered a piece of disinterested advice to the students.
Uninterested
- The property dealer was uninterested in the land, shown by the agent.
- She is totally uninterested in what others think of her.
- Reema looked uninterested when we were having the group discussion in the class.
How to remember the difference
To remember the difference between uninterested and disinterested you should know the meaning first. While disinterested refers to the absence of biases or personal prejudice, uninterested means absence of the feeling of engagement to something, i.e. indifferent or unresponsive to a particular matter.
Leave a Reply