uninterested
adjective
Disinterested vs. Uninterested: Usage Guide
Disinterested and uninterested have a tangled history. Uninterested originally meant impartial, but this sense fell into disuse during the 18th century. About the same time the original sense of disinterested also disappeared, with uninterested developing a new sense—the present meaning—to take its place. The original sense of uninterested is still out of use, but the original sense of disinterested revived in the early 20th century. The revival has since been under frequent attack as an illiteracy and a blurring or loss of a useful distinction. Actual usage shows otherwise. The "free from selfish interest" sense of disinterested is still its most frequent sense, especially in edited prose; it shows no sign of vanishing. Further, disinterested has developed an additional sense—"no longer interested"—perhaps influenced by the "deprive of" sense of the prefix dis-, that contrasts with uninterested.
Jack London, letter, 1914
Still, use of the "not interested" and "no longer interested" senses of disinterested will incur the disapproval of some who may not fully appreciate the history of this word or the subtleties of its present use.
Examples of uninterested in a Sentence
Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Unlike The Last of Us, however, Doom is entirely uninterested in interrogating the meaning of that violence — a theme that has become a shorthand for mature storytelling in games, whether or not that descriptor is earned.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 20 May 2025
However, Mahomes appeared uninterested in the role when asked about it by reporters on Thursday.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
The series stars Steve Lawrence, as a single father and head of the family Steve, who is seeking to offload his driving school business to his equally uninterested and under-qualified children, Baby Steve (Devon Taylor) and Lauren (Alexandra MacLean).
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for uninterested
Cite this Entry
“Uninterested.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uninterested. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share