nonprofessional

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adjective

non·​pro·​fes·​sion·​al ˌnän-prə-ˈfesh-nəl How to pronounce nonprofessional (audio)
-ˈfe-shə-nᵊl
: not professional: such as
a
: not belonging to or trained in a particular profession
overtime pay for nonprofessional employees
nonprofessional jobs
b
: engaging in or practicing some craft or art without previous training or professional status : amateur
a nonprofessional actor

nonprofessional

2 of 2

noun

plural nonprofessionals
: a person who is not a professional: such as
a
: someone who does not belong to or possess training in a particular profession
the role of nonprofessionals in mental health care
b
: someone who engages in or practices some craft or art without previous training or professional status
a cooking class for nonprofessionals
a cast of mostly nonprofessionals
nonprofessionally adverb
has been singing nonprofessionally for many years

Examples of nonprofessional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Hough then came up with an outline for Bubble (2005), which employed nonprofessional and local actors in a crime drama about workers in an Ohio factory that makes parts for dolls. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 And there were a lot of nonprofessional actors as well. Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2023 Across the different tests, the nonprofessional respondents were about 20 percent more likely to rate false or misleading information as true after they were encouraged to search online. Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2023 Do-it-yourself polls commissioned by nonprofessional hobbyists on online platforms like Google Surveys or SurveyMonkey. Mary Radcliffe, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2023 The awkwardness of a nonprofessional coming onto the stage to perform the death-administering role is inherently funny. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023 She’s played by Hélène Lambert, who like most of the cast members is a nonprofessional actor. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023 The origin story is that Keough struck up a friendship with Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob, two nonprofessional Lakota performers on the set of American Honey. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2023 About five years ago, Koltun and Lapshin added programs for young dancers who want to learn the art form on a nonprofessional track. Karen Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023
Noun
Japanese director Tanaka Toshihiko won Rotterdam’s coveted Tiger Award for best competition film for his debut Rei, a drama exploring human relationships made almost entirely with a cast and crew of mostly nonprofessionals and students. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Feb. 2024 Rauch directed, Carey and others tailored the scripts, and another classmate, Christopher Liam Moore—now Rauch’s husband—often played leading roles, opposite nonprofessionals who lived nearby. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2024 One of those nonprofessionals, the tennis player Monica Seles, caught her eye. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2024 But these donors had opted to be part of the donation program and were passed along to nonprofessionals. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2023 Among those who do make their living as actors, there is some frustration about so many nonprofessionals having a say over their livelihoods. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Nov. 2023 Over the past four years, Nike’s research investments for women have flourished, evident in their Portland, Oregon, sports lab, where 70% of athletes are female—and 90% of them are nonprofessionals. Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2023 But thrusting nonprofessionals into the role of interviewer reveals how much of this is a skill that most people do not possess. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2023 In taking on this subject, Grabar makes a powerful statement about cities: For all our idealization of architects and cautionary tales about all-powerful planners like Robert Moses, most things get built with little thought and by nonprofessionals. Max Holleran, The New Republic, 25 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonprofessional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1816, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonprofessional was in 1816

Dictionary Entries Near nonprofessional

Cite this Entry

“Nonprofessional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonprofessional. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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