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disinterested: msg#00027

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Subject: disinterested

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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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