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
Jason Phillips, Freep.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Only four hundred are still detained, Pinochet assured him, which wasn’t true, but Kissinger seemed uninterested in the numbers.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
Sadly, our country’s leaders appear to be wholly uninterested in raising more generations of empathetic children, much less helping immigrant children and families to feel safe and welcomed in their new homeland.
—Priscilla Blossom, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
But the Tigers look uninterested in taking a step back after losing quarterback Brady Cook and receiver Luther Burden III.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 30 Sep. 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 23 Oct. 2025.
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