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Apathy vs Disinterested - What's the difference?

apathy | disinterested |

As a noun apathy

is complete lack of emotion or motivation about a person, activity, or object; depression; lack of interest or enthusiasm; disinterest.

As an adjective disinterested is

having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial.

apathy

English

(wikipedia apathy)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Complete lack of emotion or motivation about a person, activity, or object; depression; lack of interest or enthusiasm; disinterest.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1818
  • , author=Mary Shelley , title=Frankenstein , chapter=2 citation , passage=I opened it with apathy; the theory which he attempts to demonstrate and the wonderful facts which he relates soon changed this feeling into enthusiasm.}}

    disinterested

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial.
  • * 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 , , :
  • 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.
  • * '>citation
  • Uninterested, lacking interest.
  • * 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,

    References