detachment

noun

de·​tach·​ment di-ˈtach-mənt 

dē-

1

: the action or process of detaching : separation

2

a

: the dispatch of a body of troops or part of a fleet from the main body for a special mission or service

b

: the part so dispatched

c

: a permanently organized separate unit usually smaller than a platoon and of special composition

3

a

: indifference to worldly concerns : aloofness

b

: freedom from bias or prejudice

Synonyms of detachment

• objectivity
• neutrality
• neutralism
• objectiveness

Examples of detachment in a Sentence

I wish the article had approached the issue with a bit more detachment.

The form is perforated to make detachment of the bottom section easier.

A detachment of soldiers was called to assist the police.

Recent Examples on the Web

His few lines of dialogue have a power that far exceeds their word count, but what speaks for Jeremy most of the time are his physical gestures, which blend blank detachment with willful ferocity. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026

Kelly’s videos, delivered in her distinctive, pitchy voice (think Valley girl with notes of humdrum detachment a la the famously monotone comedian Ben Stein), are both personal and woven with running gags. —Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2026

Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle. —Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026

There’s an implication early on that Pumpkin harbors her own secrets, but the portrait remains too blank to sell her detachment as a riddle worth solving. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing detachment

• retinal detachment

Rhymes for detachment

• attachment
• catchment
• reattachment

Kids Definition

detachment

noun

de·​tach·​ment di-ˈtach-mənt 

1

: the action or process of detaching : separation

2

a

: the sending out of a body of troops or part of a fleet from the main body

b

: a small military unit with a special task or function

3

a

: a lack of interest in worldly concerns

b

: freedom from the influence of emotions : impartiality