dilettantism

noun

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
  1. amateurism
  2. amateurishness
  3. inability
  4. incompetence
Noun
  • But Wright’s case is also illustrating why the NCAA’s argument about amateurism is becoming harder to square with the economics of the modern college engine.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • What were once basic tenets — amateurism, transfers, years of eligibility — have been upended.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of amateurism
Noun
  • Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of amateurishness
Noun
  • During his time in Seattle, Richard Sherman was infamous for his inability to ever take accountability for his wrongdoing.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • A week ago, the Chiefs blamed their lack of pass rush on an inability to force third-and-distance spots.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of inability
Noun
  • Connecticut State Colleges and Universities has been revealed as a nest of incompetence in its powerful central office.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • At the start of the 1986-87 season, a combination of previous boardroom incompetence and broader economics saw Middlesbrough not just in the Third Division, but with their ground, Ayresome Park, padlocked.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of incompetence
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

dilettantish
dilettantism
diligence
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dilettantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantism. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tittle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All