Disengaged

/ˌdɪsɪnˈɡeɪdʒd/ adjective

Definition

not interested or involved in something; emotionally distant or uninvolved with people or activities.

Etymology

From 'dis-' (opposite) and 'engage' (to involve or participate), which comes from French 'engager.' The prefix inverts the meaning to 'not engaged.'

Kelly Says

The opposite of 'engaged' can mean either 'not hired/not busy' or 'emotionally unavailable'—showing how the word shifted from just meaning 'unoccupied' to describing a psychological state. Disengaged students and employees are actually a major focus of modern psychology and workplace research.

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