DILETTANTISM Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

dilettantism

noun

Definition of dilettantism

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

For roughly the past decade, a flood of litigation has chipped away at many long-standing rules governing college sports — from the tradition of amateurism to rules around transfers and who is eligible to compete at all.

— Becky Sullivan, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026
Justice Clarence Thomas questioned the NCAA’s attorney, Seth Waxman, about why the NCAA believed amateurism rules were appropriate for athletes but not coaches.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of amateurism

Noun

And the party’s inability to come together during the final week of the election is likely to haunt it well into the 2028 primary.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
The eight-part season was left open ended after Alex ends it with Patrick, played by Rupert Friend after discovering a list of pros and cons, with the inability to have children as in the latter column.

— Peter White, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of inability

Noun

Whether this was due to incompetence or a deliberate effort to disenfranchise a voter, the overall impression is that ensuring voters can vote is no longer a priority.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
The pressure to deliver will be a lot more on Man United players, as defender Lisandro Martínez hit out at the club’s top management for their incompetence following a loss to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League tie on Tuesday.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 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

Style

“Dilettantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantism. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dilettantism

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

abandon

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes