amateur

noun

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am·a·teur | \ ˈa-mə-chər

, -ˌchu̇r, -(ˌ)tər

, -ˌtu̇r

, -ˌtyu̇r \

Definition of amateur

1 : one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession She played soccer as an amateur before turning professional. a tournament that is open to both amateurs and professionals

2 : one lacking in experience and competence in an art or science The people running that company are a bunch of amateurs. He's a mere amateur when it comes to cooking.

3 : devotee, admirer I am a philologist or amateur of the language …— Phillip Howard

Other Words from amateur Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Should amateur only be used literally? More Example Sentences Learn More about amateur

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Choose the Right Synonym for amateur

amateur, dilettante, dabbler, tyro mean a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status. amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials a painting obviously done by an amateur ; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration. remained an amateur despite lucrative offers dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment. had no patience for dilettantes dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence. a dabbler who started novels but never finished them tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering. shows talent but is still a mere tyro

Should amateur only be used literally?

The earliest sense of amateur ("one that has a marked fondness, liking, or taste") is strongly connected to its roots: the word came into English from the French amateur, which in turn comes from the Latin word for “lover” (amator). This has led some people to assume that the word is properly used only in the sense “one who performs something for love rather than for money.” However, as is the case with so many other English words, amateur may mean two strikingly different things, referring to one who does something for the love of it and also to one who is not terribly competent at something.

Our earliest record of the word's literal sense comes from a 1777 source. By 1790, however, it was already being used in the somewhat condescending extended sense, as seen in George Rous’s description of Edmund Burke as “a bystander, a mere amateur of aristocracy” in his Thoughts on Government.

Examples of amateur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Marlins front office features several members with Yankees ties, including Daniel Greenlee (director of player personnel), DJ Shivlik (director of amateur scouting) and Fernando Seguigniol (director of international operations). — Wells Dusenbury, sun-sentinel.com, "Upgrading bullpen a key focus for Marlins — and bringing back Sergio Romo could be in the mix," 9 Dec. 2019 Teams were wary of signing Keuchel to a long-term contract and losing a draft pick to do so, which led to Keuchel remaining on the market past the 2019 amateur draft in June. — Kerry Crowley, The Mercury News, "Multiple trade deadline decisions improved Giants’ case to re-sign Madison Bumgarner," 13 Aug. 2019 Fiona Hill, a former White House foreign policy advisor, said Sondland was a loose-lipped amateur who posed a security risk. — oregonlive, "Sondland did describe Trump deal with Ukraine as a quid pro quo: lawyer," 27 Oct. 2019 But when the Open Era started in 1968, pros were allowed to play with amateurs. — BostonGlobe.com, "NEW YORK — Andrés Gimeno, a lanky Spanish tennis player who in 1972 became the oldest man to win the men’s singles championship at the French Open, died Oct. 9 in Barcelona. He was 82.," 25 Oct. 2019 But when the Open Era started in 1968, pros were allowed to play with amateurs. — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, "Andrés Gimeno, Who Broke French Open Age Mark, Dies at 82," 21 Oct. 2019 Zhang was the second-low amateur in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston, finishing tied for 55th. — Lori Riley, courant.com, "Girls Junior PGA championship set to tee off Tuesday at Keney Park golf course," 8 July 2019 By 1900, Europe and the United States are covered in stations maintained by academics and amateurs, government workers and monks. — Washington Post, "How we know global warming is real," 19 Dec. 2019 But if Stoll is a cybersecurity amateur, few experts have had as much influence on the field. — Andy Greenberg, Wired, "Meet The Mad Scientist Who Wrote the Book on How to Hunt Hackers," 18 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amateur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near amateur

amassette

a match made in heaven

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Last Updated

21 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Amateur.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amateurish. Accessed 24 January 2020.

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More Definitions for amateur

amateur

noun

am·a·teur | \ ˈam-ə-ˌtər

, -ˌchər \