Meaning & use
detached
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not emotionally involved in a situation, so that you judge it calmly or seem cool and distant.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a detached observer; she seemed detached.
Patterns
- detached from something
- remain detached
The judge stayed detached throughout the emotional trial.
He spoke in a detached voice, as if the news did not concern him.
She felt detached from the argument around her.
adjectivebefore a nounBritish
Standing apart from other things, especially describing a house that is not joined to another building.
Grammar: Common in British English: a detached house.
Patterns
- a detached house
They bought a detached house with a large garden.
The garage is detached from the main building.
A detached cottage stood at the end of the lane.
adjectivecomparable
Separated or disconnected from something it was once attached to.
Grammar: Often a past participle used as an adjective: a detached label.
Patterns
- detached from something
A detached piece of the rocket fell into the sea.
The detached retina required emergency surgery.
The label came detached from the box.
Common combinations
- detached house
- A detached house costs more than a semi-detached one.
- emotionally detached
- He seemed emotionally detached from his family.
- detached from reality
- The politician seemed detached from reality.
- detached observer
- A scientist should be a detached observer.
- detached retina
- A detached retina needs urgent treatment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- aloof
- Aloof suggests unfriendly distance, while detached can be neutral and professional.
- impartial
- Impartial means fair and not taking sides, whereas detached means emotionally uninvolved.
- indifferent
- Indifferent means not caring, while detached can describe calm judgment.
- separate
- Separate describes physical division, whereas detached often adds a sense of having been joined.
Opposites
Word family
- detach verb
- to separate or remove from something
- detachment noun
- emotional distance or separation
- detachable adjective
- able to be removed
- attach verb
- to fasten to something
Commonly confused: detached or attached?
detached vs attached
Attached means joined or fond of, so it is the opposite of detached.
Practice
Doctors need to stay somewhat ___ so that strong emotion does not cloud their decisions.
Choose one answer.
Detached means keeping emotional distance, which helps clear judgment. Attached would mean emotionally bound, which creates the problem.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “detached”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.