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Understanding the difference between commonly confused words will help you avoid making errors in English usage. Let’s examine the difference between the following:
disinterested
Disinterested means impartial, objective, unbiased, not standing to gain, and free from self-interest. A disinterested party, such as an umpire or judge, might actually be very interested in a situation, game, or case, but is able to judge it fairly because he or she does not have a stake or a vested interest in the outcome.
The disinterested mediator was able to keep a cool head and bring the clashing parties to an agreement.
uninterested
Uninterested means lacking interest or concern; bored or indifferent. An uninterested person simply doesn’t care.
The boys were at an age where they were still completely uninterested in girls.
Although some dictionaries accept disinterested as a synonym for uninterested or to mean having lost interest, most sticklers prefer to maintain the distinctions listed above.
☛ As a memory aid to help you differentiate these words, you can think of disinterested as being detached (both start with d), and uninterested as being unconcerned (both start with u).
If you’re afraid you might mix up these words or that your readers might be confused about what you mean, you can always use the word impartial, neutral, or objective instead of disinterested, and indifferent instead of uninterested.
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