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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantism
  1. amateurism
  2. amateurishness
  3. inability
  4. incompetence
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
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
  • One root of these problems, Fersko-Weiss believed, was an inability to communicate frankly about what death and dying entailed.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Industry leaders say its inability to cite casinos for violating federal law or force the emergency closure of unsafe facilities is particularly troubling.
    — Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inability
Noun
  • It’s been a classic staple over decades of British comedy, which from Basil Fawlty to David Brent has rejoiced in puncturing pomposity to reveal idiocy and incompetence.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Leaders often face dangerous blind spots, not from incompetence, but from strengths like confidence and decisiveness becoming liabilities.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Dilettantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantism. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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