When it comes to the words "disinterested" and "uninterested," the issue isn’t so much that a distinction has been lost, it's that a distinction has been deliberately imposed.
Our listener Amy Stevenson recently brought to our attention this fairly common pet peeve: "My pet peeve [is] when 'disinterested' and 'uninterested' are used synonymously. Doesn't 'disinterested' mean impartial; and 'uninterested' mean 'indifferent'?"
Stevenson's feelings about "disinterested" and "uninterested" align with a distinction that 20th century grammarians made a big fuss about and worked very hard to enforce. However, the ambiguity between these two words has existed for centuries.
“Uninterested” emerged in the 1600s, and its first meaning was “impartial.” By the 1700s, it had also taken on the meaning of “unconcerned or indifferent" and has held on to that meaning to this day.
"Disinterested" showed up in the middle of the 1600s and had two meanings from the very beginning. It could mean “without interest or concern,” or it could mean “impartial."
The Oxford English Dictionary cites a 17th century example that describes someone both as “disinterested of worldly matters” and as “a disinterested arbiter.” While in today's world, “disinterested” is most commonly used to mean “impartial," it can still also be used to mean "uninterested."
For more on "disinterested" and "uninterested," listen to the audio above.
