connoisseur

noun

con·​nois·​seur ˌkä-nə-ˈsər 

also -ˈsu̇r

1

: expert

especially : one who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge

a connoisseur of music

2

: one who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties

a connoisseur of fine wines

connoisseurship

ˌkä-nə-ˈsər-ˌship 

also -ˈsu̇r-

noun

Synonyms of connoisseur

• scholar
• devotee
• dilettante
• collector

Examples of connoisseur in a Sentence

Police reporting had made me a connoisseur of auto accidents. Some people could tell a fake Rembrandt from the real thing; I could tell a run-of-the-mill fender bender from a real accident. —Russell Baker, The Good Times, 1989

It was apple juice. Ortiz watched him drink it with all the delicacy of a wine connoisseur sampling new bordeaux. —Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, (1988) 1989

He was a voracious reader, a strong critic, an art connoisseur in certain directions, a collector of books, but above all he was a man of the world by profession, and loved the contacts—perhaps the collisions—of society. —Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1907

She is a connoisseur of African art.

a forthcoming exhibit at the art museum that is eagerly awaited by connoisseurs of ancient Greek pottery

Recent Examples on the Web

The women in my family are hair oil connoisseurs; there’s hardly a bathroom drawer in our entire house that isn’t filled to the brim with glass jars. — Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 26 July 2026

Makeup Deals As a makeup connoisseur, perusing pages of beauty products was hardly a grueling task. — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026

Among connoisseurs, the top choice remains the Chocolate Line, a bean-to-bar producer run by Dominique and Fabienne Persoone. — New York Times, 16 July 2026

For discerning connoisseurs, Paris is the destination to find these pieces. — Micaela English, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French (now connaisseur), from Old French connoisseor, from connoistre to know, from Latin cognoscere — more at cognition

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for connoisseur

• amateur
• kieselguhr
• monseigneur
• procureur
• retransfer
• saboteur
• silencer
• voyageur
• birr
• blur
• bur
• cur

Kids Definition

connoisseur

noun

con·​nois·​seur ˌkän-ə-ˈsər 

-ˈsu̇(ə)r

: an expert in a particular subject (as art or wine)

connoisseurship

-ˌship 

noun

Etymology

from obsolete French connoisseur "expert," from early French connoisseor (same meaning), from connoistre "to know," from Latin cognoscere "to know" — related to incognito, recognize