Detachment
/dɪˈtætʃ.mənt/noun
The state of being separated, disconnected, or emotionally uninvolved.
Did you know?Detachment comes through French from Latin roots meaning “to unfasten” or “undo,” and its core image is not serenity but separation by force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*de-
“to bind, fasten, or attach”
Latin
Latin
tardus?
“incorrect”
Old French
Old French
des- + estachier
“to unfasten, detach”
Middle English
English
detachen
“to unfasten, disconnect”
15th Century
English
detachement
“the act or state of detaching”
Modern English
English
detachment
“the state of being separated or emotionally uninvolved”