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disinterested: msg#00027culture.language.word-of-the-day
***************************************************************** Looking for a Merriam-Webster dictionary that fits your own special needs? Come on in and browse! http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?diction.htm ***************************************************************** The Word of the Day for March 28 is: disinterested \dis-IN-trus-tud\ adjective 1 a : not having the mind or feelings engaged : not interested b : no longer interested *2 : free from selfish motive or interest : unbiased Example sentence: To avoid any conflicts of interest, the company hired disinterested consultants to determine how to reorganize the company most efficiently. Did you know? "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 sense of "disinterested" describing someone not having the mind or feelings engaged also disappeared, only to have "uninterested" take its place. The original sense of "uninterested" is still out of use, but the original ("uninterested") sense of "disinterested" revived in the early 20th century. The revival has come under frequent attack as an illiteracy and a blurring or loss of a useful distinction. However, actual usage shows otherwise. For instance, a writer may choose "disinterested" in preference to "uninterested" for emphasis, as in "a supremely disinterested child." Further, "disinterested" has developed a sense meaning "no longer interested," which is clearly distinguishable from "uninterested." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. |
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