I have always thought disinterested means unbiased and uninterested means bored. However in a passage on a state wide exam the text used disinterested in place of a situation where its definition would not make sense. There was no question asking you to fix this if that is what you might be thinking. apparently some say they have become more interchangeable.
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1Have you looked them up in a dictionary? If not, please do so, and then share your findings here and rephrase your question accordingly? – TrevorD May 07 '16 at 14:26
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2See usage note on disinterested in American Heritage Dictionary. – Brian Donovan May 07 '16 at 14:27
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to be interested in really means a few things. It can mean to have your attention held by something, or it can mean to have a desire in the outcome of. Both come from the Latin interesse, which literally means to exist between, but also has the meanings to attend to (as in to have your attention), and to concern, so the roots go way back.
Back to colloquial English: disinterested can be used anywhere uninterested can be used. They both mean paying no attention to but the dis- sense includes having no concern about.
On the other hand, the same is not true of disinteresting and uninteresting. you say that's interesting or that's uninteresting but never that's disinteresting. Why that is may be lost in the mists of time.
Robert B
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"Disinterested" is used to mean "uninterested" by the uneducated. Educated native English speakers who value the distinction between words would not dream of using it in this way. The answer to your question depends on what you read and who you talk to. If you read what I write, no!
David
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