detached

[dih-tacht]

adjective

1. not attached; separated.

   a detached ticket stub.

   Antonyms: attached

2. having no wall in common with another building (attached ).

   a detached house.

   Antonyms: attached

3. impartial or objective; disinterested; unbiased.

   a detached judgment.

   Synonyms: unprejudiced, dispassionate, evenhanded, neutral, uninvolved

4. not involved or concerned; aloof.

detached

/ dɪˈtætʃt /

adjective

1. disconnected or standing apart; not attached

   a detached house

2. having or showing no bias or emotional involvement; disinterested

3. social welfare working at the clients' normal location rather than from an office; not dependent on premises for providing a service Compare outreach

   a detached youth worker

4. ophthalmol (of the retina) separated from the choroid layer of the eyeball to which it is normally attached, resulting in loss of vision in the affected part

Other Word Forms

• detachedly adverb
• detachedness noun
• undetached adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of detached¹

First recorded in 1700–10; detach + -ed ²

Example Sentences

This late 19th Century detached hillside house in the East Sussex town has been extended with a series of timber-framed rooms and industrial exterior features including a concrete yard and galvanised steel staircase.

From BBC

Her expression is unreadable, at once thoughtful, curious, interested and detached.

From Los Angeles Times

Star has qualified as a doctor and lives in Edinburgh, detached from Marigold's mental health problems.

From BBC

What once seemed laughably detached from reality is now embedded in Instagram feeds and TikTok fridges.

From Salon

He punches her — I think that I read it and I was detached from it.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abstract 
• casual 
• dispassionate 
• distant 
• impartial 
• impersonal 
• indifferent 
• laid-back 
• remote 
• removed 
• unbiased