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

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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
  • The inability of the United States to protect its Gulf allies from Iranian attacks or to keep the Strait of Hormuz open has fatally undermined the core security bargain that justified its network of military bases in the region.
    MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Feelings of anxiety often point to uncertainty rather than inability.
    Naira Velumyan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Every dollar lost to fraud or administrative incompetence is a dollar unavailable for legitimate patients, families and vulnerable Americans.
    Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026
  • No matter what people think about the party out of power, the level of waste, fraud, corruption and incompetence that permeates our state government should make voters consider something new in November.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 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.

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“Dilettantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantism. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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