Although context often makes the intended meaning clear, it is best to use disinterested when you mean impartial or unbiased, and uninterested when you mean indifferent or bored.
How do you use disinterested?
To be disinterested means to be impartial, which explains why this word, in its traditional sense, is often used in legal or business contexts:
- Is the judge disinterested regarding this case or does she need to recuse herself?
- He seemed disinterested in what was going on around him.
What is correct disinterested or uninterested?
In today's usage, disinterested most often means "not biased," whereas uninterested simply means "not interested." Interestingly, when these words were first introduced their meanings were the reverse, with disinterested originally meaning "lacking interest," and uninterested meaning "unbiased."
