apathy

noun

ap·​a·​thy ˈa-pə-thē How to pronounce apathy (audio)
1
: lack of feeling or emotion : impassiveness
drug abuse leading to apathy and depression
2
: lack of interest or concern : indifference
political apathy

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How Apathy Differs From Impassivity and Indifference

Apathy, impassivity, and indifference all denote a lack of responsiveness to something that might normally excite interest or emotion. Apathy suggests a puzzling or deplorable inertness or lack of passion, as in “the problem of continued voter apathy.” Impassivity stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression, as in “teachers frustrated by the impassivity of their students.” Indifference connotes a lack of interest in or concern about something, as in “the company’s apparent indifference to the needs of its employees.”

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The Greek Origins of Apathy

There's no reason to be uncaring about the origins of apathy—though there is a clue to the word's beginnings in this sentence. Apathy was borrowed into English in the late 16th century from Greek apatheia, which itself comes from the adjective apathēs, meaning "without feeling." Apathēs, in turn, was formed by combining the negating prefix a- with pathos, meaning "emotion." Incidentally, if you've guessed that pathos is the source of the identically spelled noun in English (meaning either "an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion" or "an emotion of sympathetic pity"), you are correct. Pathos also gave us such words as antipathy, empathy, sympathy, pathetic, and even the archaic word pathematic ("emotional").

Examples of apathy in a Sentence

That's the danger of a teeming cast of … characters: they get jumbled in the viewer's mind, and … apathy ensues. Novels can afford a rich banquet of personalities; it's what readers sign up for. But ratiocination isn't welcome in modern movies, which prefer visceral impact over intellect. Richard Corliss, Time, 20 Oct. 2008
But short of such complete apathy, there are other neurological conditions in which the capacity for genuine emotion is compromised. One sees this in some forms of autism, in the "flat affect" of some schizophrenics.  … But here, as with Harry, music can often break through, if only in a limited way or for a brief time, and release seemingly normal emotions. Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia, 2008
According to the polls, "the American people, as opposed to some of their leaders, seek no converts to their ideology." And they are not "cultural imperialists." Maybe not. But this reserve seems grounded less in humility (60 percent of Americans consider their culture "superior to others") than in apathy. Robert Wright, New York Times Book Review, 14 May 2006
The result could well be further inequality of political information, with avid followers of politics becoming ever more knowledgeable while the rest of the public slips deeper into political apathy. Martin P. Wattenberg, Atlantic, October 1998
People have shown surprising apathy toward these important social problems. People have shown a surprising apathy toward these problems.
Recent Examples on the Web Fraser said Putin will need to ensure high support and turnout, both around 80%, in a climate of severe voter apathy to give the perception that his mandate is clear and convincing. Kim Hjelmgaard and Anna Nemtsova, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 The war in Ukraine has, however, threatened to pierce some of that apathy. Christian Edwards, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 On the Democratic side, there are concerns about Mr. Biden's age, his handling of U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict and voter apathy. Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 On the left, some groups have warned of funding challenges and voter apathy, and the most visible source of in-the-streets energy is progressive frustration with Mr. Biden over his support for Israel. Katie Glueck, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 Despite the spotlight on artistic excellence, the awards season wasn’t without its missteps and controversies, notably influenced by voter apathy in the aftermath of prolonged industry strikes. Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Historians reach further back for more examples of such widespread apathy toward the party front-runners. Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Putin benefits heavily from apathy; Russians have never witnessed a democratic transfer of power between rival political parties, and expressions of anger at the Kremlin are rare enough to keep much of the population disengaged from politics. Rob Picheta, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 Polls show mounting public apathy from voters, particularly young people, and deepening disenchantment with the ideals of liberal democracy itself. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'apathy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French apathie, borrowed from Latin apathīa, borrowed from Greek apatheîa, noun derivative of apathḗs "not suffering, without passion or feeling, impassive," from a- a- entry 2 + -pathēs, adjective derivative of páthos "experience, misfortune, emotion" — more at pathos

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apathy was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Apathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apathy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

apathy

noun
ap·​a·​thy ˈap-ə-thē How to pronounce apathy (audio)
: lack of feeling or of interest

Medical Definition

apathy

noun
ap·​a·​thy ˈap-ə-thē How to pronounce apathy (audio)
plural apathies
: lack of feeling or emotion

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