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Disinterested vs Apathetic - What's the difference?

disinterested | apathetic |

As adjectives the difference between disinterested and apathetic

is that disinterested is having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial while apathetic is void of feeling; not susceptible of deep emotion; passionless; indifferent.

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

    apathetic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * apathetical

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Void of feeling; not susceptible of deep emotion; passionless; indifferent.
  • Of, or pertaining to apatheism.
  • Synonyms

    * indifferent. impassive