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
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
This début novel chronicles a young woman’s unravelling with ethnographic detachment.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
There’s often an arch detachment where the singer tries to pretend as though they haven’t actually been poisoned by being online themselves.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Their ensuing battle against a detachment of Ukrainian troops lasted through the night and into the following morning, with the Russians firing heavy machine guns and shells toward the nuclear plant, setting one of its administrative buildings on fire.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Smith suffuses the book with a kind of clinical detachment, even as the dread mounts with each page.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detachment
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The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
There’s often an arch detachment where the singer tries to pretend as though they haven’t actually been poisoned by being online themselves.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Their ensuing battle against a detachment of Ukrainian troops lasted through the night and into the following morning, with the Russians firing heavy machine guns and shells toward the nuclear plant, setting one of its administrative buildings on fire.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Smith suffuses the book with a kind of clinical detachment, even as the dread mounts with each page.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detachment
Cite this Entry
“Detachment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detachment. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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