disinterested

Corruption of the adjective disinterest/disinteressed.

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈsɪnt(ə)ɹɛstɪd/

disinterested (comparative more disinterested, superlative most disinterested)

1. Having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial. [from 17th c.]
   • 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, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, ch. 1:

     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.

   • 2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review)‎, London, page R10:

     [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.

2. Uninterested, lacking interest. [from 17th c.]
   • 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.

• The correctness of the use of this word with the meaning uninterested is disputed. Some reference works consider it acceptable,[1] while others do not.[2] The OED specifies that this is "Often regarded as a loose use."[3] According to Macmillan Dictionary, "Many people think that this use of the word is not correct".[4]