disinterested
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: From disinterest (“to cause to be impartial”, verb) + -ed (suffix forming past tense or past participle forms of verbs), or from dis- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + interested (“having a stake in; showing interest”, adjective).
Base: disinterest
Affixes: -ed
Inflected forms:
form: more disinterested
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most disinterested
pos: adj
tags: superlative
Senses:
gloss: Having no interest or stake in the outcome, and no conflicts of interest; free of bias, impartial.
pos: adj
examples: [W]e ought to try our compoſures this vvay; by vvhich the ſoul, receiving them more remotely, conveyed to the ear by the voice, and from this returned to her, as it vvere, from abroad, and that onely in a tranſient ſound, ſits novv as the moſt diſintereſted Arbiter, and impartial judge of her ovvn vvorks, that ſhe can be.
[E]very one pretended to Right and Liberty, and to publick Good, and made loud Noiſes of their unbiaſs'd Juſtice, diſintereſted Actings, and vaſt Moderation, and yet vvere all fighting and ſnarling for Dominion over one another.
Sir, you have a right to that kind of respect, and are arguing for yourself. I am for ſupporting the principle, and am diſintereſted in doing it, as I have no ſuch right.
"I don't mind going if a lunch is provided," observed the gentleman with the excrescence on his nose. "But I must be fed, if I make one." Another laugh. "Well, I am the most disinterested among you, after all," said the first speaker, "for I never wear black gloves, and I never eat lunch. But I'll offer to go, if anybody else will.[…]"
This was a case for disinterested benevolence; no pay was expected, but considerable risk incurred; yet we could not decline it, […]
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; but he was too good a journalist to be unaware that the "human interest" would enable him more easily to effect his purpose.
People are better off abjuring violence, if everyone else agrees to do so, and vesting authority in a disinterested third party.
[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.
gloss: Synonym of uninterested (“not interested; not concerned; indifferent”).
pos: adj
tags: often
proscribed
examples: [I]f there be caſes, vvherein the party is diſ-intereſted, and only or primarily the glory of God is reſpected and advanced, it [suicide] may be lavvfull.
The Mariners, vvhen in ſome furious Tempeſt they are upon point of ſinking, hovv are they amazed at the rage of the vvatry Element? […] hovv diſintereſted are they of all vvorldly matters, ſince they fling their vvealth and riches into the Sea, for vvhich they have run ſuch hazard?
Robin took to wandering again, to intermittent travel from which she came back hours, days later, disinterested.
[Thomas H.] Fields [Jr.] and his club guard against bullies getting in to learn the lethal art, and he says he can spot them. Those spotted are usually taught so slowly that they grow disinterested and quit.
Derived words: disinterestedly
disinterestedness
nondisinterested
undisinterested
Translations: