From Grammer Girl: "An uninterested person is bored, unconcerned, or indifferent; a disinterested person is impartial, unbiased, or has no stake in the outcome."
I am uninterested in football.
A good judge is disinterested.
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Hi Crisna,
Although there technically is a difference in meaning, most native English speakers will use them interchangeably and will not notice if you replace one with another, so it is not something I would worry about too much if I were you.
However, if you want to be technically correct, the route word “interest” can have slightly different meanings in different contexts. “Interest” can mean curiosity and wanting to know or learn more about something. The opposite of this is “uninterested.” For example, “the dog was completely uninterested in coming home – chasing squirrels was far more exciting.”
Another meaning of “interest” is an advantage, benefit or stake. For example, if something is done in the public interest, it is done for the good of the people. If something is done in self-interest, the individual is acting greedily and for their own gain. So “disinterested” means you are impartial and have no benefit or gain to be made from a situation or decision. For example, “the choice should be made by a disinterested party.”
If you would like to find out more about the confusion and controversy behind these two words, you may find the following links useful:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uninterestedhttps://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/disinterested-or-uninterested