con·nois·seur
ˌkä-nə-ˈsər 
also -ˈsu̇r
1
2
: one who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties
a connoisseur of fine wines
con·nois·seur·ship
ˌkä-nə-ˈsər-ˌship also -ˈsu̇r-
plural -s
: expertness in a matter of taste or discrimination : knowledgeability especially in aesthetic or recondite matters
none of that pedantic affectation of connoisseurship which makes a premature fuss over trifles—
Irvin Stock
Irvin Stockesthetic connoisseurship has generally displaced a creative conception of art—Walter Gropius
Walter GropiusSynonyms of connoisseur
Examples of connoisseur in a Sentence
Noun (1)
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
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
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
This is the ultimate membership for wine-connoisseur dads.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
The location, behind the Sheraton Hotel, already hosts the likenesses of restaurateurs Lina Fat, Biba Caggiano and Randy Paragary, and food connoisseur Darrell Corti.
—Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026
Architect Arjun Joshy, by his own admission, is a connoisseur of design and mangoes, in roughly equal measure.
—Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for connoisseur
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Noun
Today the designation of waterman or -woman is bestowed upon ocean connoisseurs who excel at paddling, free diving, surfing, and navigation, and big-wave athlete Kai Lenny is one of those carrying on this legacy.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
This is the ultimate membership for wine-connoisseur dads.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
The location, behind the Sheraton Hotel, already hosts the likenesses of restaurateurs Lina Fat, Biba Caggiano and Randy Paragary, and food connoisseur Darrell Corti.
—Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026
Architect Arjun Joshy, by his own admission, is a connoisseur of design and mangoes, in roughly equal measure.
—Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for connoisseur
Cite this Entry
“Connoisseur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connoisseur. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
connoisseur
noun
con·nois·seur
ˌkän-ə-ˈsər
-ˈsu̇(ə)r
: an expert in a particular subject (as art or wine)
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