dilettantism

Definition of dilettantismnext
as in amateurism
a lack of the level of skill associated with an expert or professional no charge of dilettantism could ever be leveled at English physicist Henry Cavendish, whose immense wealth allowed him to devote his life to scientific pursuits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantism
Noun
  • There was also a path through college hockey, which was typically forged by a stop in the United States Hockey League (USHL), which met NCAA amateurism rules.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Last summer’s House settlement, which permits schools to directly pay their athletes roughly $20 million this year across all sports, drove a final stake through the college amateurism model.
    Justin Williams, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Yet despite the faction’s inability to win in purple or red districts, democratic socialists enjoy a net favorability of 17 points among Democratic voters nationwide, compared with just 4 points for Democratic members of Congress.
    James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • That's big news, as one of McCray's biggest problems has been his inability to match up physically against some of the tackles in the SEC.
    Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Noun
  • Trump’s incompetence throughout this vendetta against Comey is perhaps its most welcome aspect.
    Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • In an April 2025 meeting, FCMAT CEO Mike Fine said a two-month financial investigation found the district’s problems stemmed from poor budget development and management, incompetence and staff behavior.
    Velvet Wu July 25, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dilettantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantism. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster