What does disinterestedly mean?
"Disinterestedly" is a formal adverb meaning in an impartial manner — acting or judging without any personal stake in the outcome. A judge who rules disinterestedly, for example, decides the case purely on the evidence rather than on any benefit to herself. The word derives from "disinterested," an adjective that has carried two competing senses since the seventeenth century: "free of self-interest" and "indifferent or bored." Consequently, "disinterestedly" sometimes appears where "uninterestedly" would be expected, as in someone listening to a lecture disinterestedly. Usage authorities generally prefer keeping the senses distinct: use "disinterestedly" for neutrality and fairness, and "uninterestedly" for lack of engagement. The word appears chiefly in elevated writing about ethics, law, journalism, and public service, where the idea of setting aside personal advantage matters. Its root traces to the noun "interest," from Latin interesse, "to concern or be between."
In an impartial and unbiased manner, free from personal interest or self-advantage.
"The arbitrator weighed each claim disinterestedly before reaching a verdict."
This is the dominant and preferred sense in formal writing.
In a manner lacking interest or enthusiasm; indifferently.
"He flipped disinterestedly through the magazine while waiting."
Often criticized as a misuse of the impartiality sense; "uninterestedly" is recommended here.
For centuries, "disinterested" was used to mean both "impartial" and "bored" — a double life that still makes it one of English's most contested words.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of disinterestedly
"Disinterestedly" is formed from the adjective "disinterested," which emerged in the early seventeenth century from "dis-" (meaning "away from") plus "interested," itself derived from the noun "interest." That noun comes from Latin interesse, "to concern, make a difference," literally "to be between." Originally meaning "without personal advantage or bias," "disinterested" acquired an additional sense of "indifferent" over time, and this ambiguity extends to the adverb. Cognate formations appear across Romance languages, such as French désintéressé.
Related word forms
How disinterestedly is actually used
The adverb carries the same prescriptive controversy as its base adjective: careful writers reserve "disinterestedly" for the impartiality sense and use "uninterestedly" for indifference. It is a formal word, common in legal, ethical, and journalistic prose, and rare in casual speech.
Easily confused with disinterestedly
"Disinterestedly" means impartially or without personal stake, while "uninterestedly" means without curiosity or enthusiasm.