The Language Perfectionist: This Tip Will Pay High "Interest"

By Don Hauptman  
What's wrong with the following three examples?

1. We've seen a marked increase in the number of candidates disinterested in positions requiring heavy travel.

2. Headline: Congress Disinterested in Whether USDA Program Works

3. Interest in return to the Moon is slim, with 29% interested, 45% neutral, and 23% disinterested.

The word disinterested does not mean uninterested. Rather, disinterested means impartial, unbiased, fair-minded, having no vested interest in the matter under consideration.

This is probably one of the most commonly misused words in the English language. Some language gurus and permissive dictionaries even argue that because the incorrect use is so prevalent, it's now "correct."

I disagree. The word disinterested serves a useful purpose. It would be a shame if its meaning became irrelevant as a result of its blurring with another word.

So let's maintain the distinction between disinterested and uninterested. This may help you remember how to do it: If you were on trial for murder, you would want the judge to be disinterested - but not uninterested.

[Ed Note: Don Hauptman was a direct-response copywriter for more than 30 years. For his direct-mail subscription packages, he won The Newsletter on Newsletters promotion award for 10 years. He also writes about the English language and has worked on a humorous new book in that genre.]
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2274, 02-09-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.