‘Interested’ is a word, used to denote the liking factor in the English language universally. So, what is the antonym of the word interested? is it disinterested or uninterested? Both the words sound similar but have a different meaning and used in different areas.
Disinterested and uninterested are not synonyms either. If a judge has to give a judgment on the case, Does he feel disinterested or uninterested in the judgment? Which word will be suitable. Often both words are used interchangeably but not by the person who knows the difference between these words.
Uninterested vs Disinterested
The main difference between disinterested and uninterested is that disinterested is used to describe if a person is not taking someone’s side or has no personal gain from that. While the word uninterested is used to describe if a person does not care about something, not showing interest, or bored.
Disinterested means impartial, unbiased, not to favour someone. It is an adjective. If a person has no personal gain or not taking someone side in certain matters then we can say that he is disinterested. The term often used in the context of legal and business.
Uninterested means not interested, boring or uneventful. It is also an adjective and opposite word of interest. If a person does not care about something, not showing interest in anything or bored. The word uninterested describes them.
Comparison Table Between Uninterested and Disinterested (in Tabular Form)
| Parameter of Comparison | Disinterested | Uninterested |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It means not taking sides. | It means bored, or not interested in something |
| Usage | The word mostly used in the context of legal and business | The word is used generally to denote not liking factors. |
| Words regarded as | No Self – Involvement | No Interest |
| Participation | A person does not participate because he is not intending to | A person does not participate because he is not liking to participate |
| Characteristics | The disinterested people are unbiased and impartial | The uninterested people are bored and not interested |
When to Use Uninterested?
Uninterested again is an adjective, that describes the aspects of boring and uneventful. It indicates the disliking factor towards something or someone.
Uninterested is a very common word used to denote boring factors.
For E.g.
- Sheena was uninterested in going for a movie as she doesn’t like the star cast.
- He is uninterested in classical music as it is boring.
The uninterested is the opposite word of interested, and which gives the meaning of not being interested. A person who does not want to involve in anything or shows no interest in participation or makes him excited about something or in the business or affairs to describe the situation a word uninterested is used.
The uninterested person does not want to involve or participate in any kind of business or affairs and does not show any interest, concern, attention, or enthusiasm so on.
For E.g.
- Reena is uninterested in learning mathematics. She likes to study social science.
- The politicians showed uninterest in public affairs.
If a person does not want to go for a movie because he or she does not like the star cast. Which word is suitable for the situation disinterested or uninterested? The situation explains that a person is not interested in a movie because of the star cast. The proper usage of the word is uninterested. A person is uninterested to go for a movie because of star casting.
For E.g.
- She is uninterested to go for the party. She doesn’t like socializing.
- Youths are uninterested in politics.
When to Use Disinterested?
Disinterested is an adjective. It strongly denotes that a person is neutral in a particular stand. This means to say he is not being partial to anyone.
For E.g.
- The referee was disinterested in both matches.
- The judge gave disinterested judgment in the property case.
We can say that disinterested is uneven synonyms of Impartial or Unbiased. Often people use disinterested in the place of uninterested which means not interested or bored. Though both words seem similar but have different meanings and it should be avoided. It is a common mistake that everyone does without knowing the differences between disinterested and uninterested.
For E.g.
- Karan was disinterested in the family affairs.
- Karan was uninterested in the family affairs.
Both the sentences are correct as gives the meaning to a different situation.
As mentioned earlier If a judge has to give judgment on the case, does he disinterested or uninterested about the judgment? The correct use of the word here is disinterested. The judge has to give disinterested judgment on the case.
Main Differences Between Uninterested and Disinterested
- The main difference between the disinterested and uninterested lies in the state of the conversation, disinterested means being neutral in an aspect while uninterested is being bored in that particular aspect
- The usage of these words also has differences, disinterested is used in contexts like legal justice, games and so on where judging features arrive, while uninterested is common, it is a person’s dislike towards something,
- The disinterested word regarded as the absence of self-involvement and uninterested word regarded as insufficiency of interest.
- The disinterested person has no participation in the context of self-biased nature. While an uninterested person does not want to participate in the affairs or business.
- Disinterested is being loyal and ethical while uninterested displays a person’s emotion.
Conclusion
Disinterested and uninterested both words seem similar as both involve the word interest. But the words have a different meaning. Disinterested displays ethics while uninterested displays emotions. These two whole factors make these words have a different meaning altogether.
The important information is disinterested and uninterested are not synonyms. The word ‘Uninterested’ is the opposite word for interest. And disinterested is a non-synch synonym for the words unbiased and impartial. Avoid using the disinterested in the place of uninterest as it gives a different meaning. Usage of words in the right contexts makes sense, at the same time usage of right words makes it more intense.
References
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/disinterested
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/uninterested