Detachment
/dɪˈtætʃmənt/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe state of being impartial or objective; a lack of emotional involvement.
/dɪˈtætʃmənt/
The state of being objective or aloof.
His professional detachment allowed him to make unbiased decisions.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're watching a movie, not getting super involved with the characters, but just observing. That's like detachment. You see what's happening without feeling all the feelings.
👶 For kids: When you're not feeling very involved with something, like if you're watching other kids play and not playing yourself. It's like you're not very close to what's happening.
More Examples
She showed remarkable detachment when discussing her own problems.
The therapist encouraged the patient to cultivate a sense of detachment from negative thoughts.
How It's Used
"Her detachment from the situation allowed her to analyze it more clearly."
"The narrator's emotional detachment created a sense of unease in the reader."
A small military unit or a group of people sent away from a larger group.
/dɪˈtætʃmənt/
A group of soldiers separated for a special task.
A detachment of soldiers was dispatched to secure the border.
💡 Simply: Imagine a team sent out to do a special job, like a group of firefighters sent to a different part of the city. That's a detachment – a special little group.
👶 For kids: A group of helpers that get sent to do a job.
More Examples
The rescue detachment arrived at the scene quickly.
The small detachment of scouts moved ahead of the main army.
How It's Used
"The reconnaissance detachment was sent ahead to scout the area."
"A police detachment was assigned to protect the embassy."
Idioms & expressions
military detachment
A unit sent on a special mission.
"The military detachment was tasked with securing the area."
emotional detachment
Lack of emotional connection.
"Her emotional detachment made her seem cold."
From Middle French *détachement*, from *détacher* (“to detach”), from *dé-* (“de-”) + *attacher* (“to attach”).
Historically used to describe the separation of military units, the concept of emotional detachment developed later in psychology and philosophy.
Memory tip
Imagine a military unit separated from the main force – a detachment. This separation implies distance and objectivity.