1
as in inexperienced
being such only for recreation
an amateur cabinetmaker, he derives immense satisfaction from finely crafting his own furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in amateurish
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
in every room there were amateur watercolors, apparently the work of the innkeeper's wife
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tinkerer
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession
an amateur photographer who has won a number of photo contests
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beginner
a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science
a homemade doghouse that looked like it was built by an amateur who hadn't mastered basic carpentry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of amateur
Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
The incident occurred during Saturday’s third-tier Welsh match, which features teams with amateur and semi-professional status.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Some of the amateur sleuthing is missing important context, said Nancy Gutierrez, a spokesperson for Washington’s Department of Children, Youth & Families.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amateur
Adjective
Some estimates suggest that more than 3 million women have opened creator accounts on the amateur-pornography website OnlyFans.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
The incident occurred during Saturday’s third-tier Welsh match, which features teams with amateur and semi-professional status.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Noun
Musk, who owns X, wants to promote the belief that the truth can be found on social media, and that the practitioners of real journalism are allegedly independent amateurs, such as Shirley, who can ask questions without being cowed by the woke agenda.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Some of the amateur sleuthing is missing important context, said Nancy Gutierrez, a spokesperson for Washington’s Department of Children, Youth & Families.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateur
Adjective
-
Ten of the top 15 quarterbacks in the portal have already committed, and after that top tier, many of the remaining quarterbacks available are either young, inexperienced passers from Power 4 programs or starters from Group of 5 or FCS schools.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
According to the University of Massachusetts Global, teacher turnover results in a large number of inexperienced teachers being placed in classrooms, meaning more money is put toward recruiting, hiring and training.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Blanc, who lived in Des Moines, Iowa, wasn’t the first tinkerer to try unclogging drains by running a cable through pipes.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Micron’s Crucial brand sold memory on sticks that tinkerers could use to build their own PCs or upgrade their laptops.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
And in Sun Valley, Idaho, learners practically have an entire mountain devoted to beginner runs while their more experienced friends and family rip over 2,500 skiable acres.—
Alison Fox,
Outside,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The terrain is mainly geared toward intermediate and advanced skiers, with 53 percent intermediate, 32 percent advanced, and 15 percent beginner runs.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Again, avocational people being kind of ahead of the archaeological profession.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Feb. 2024
-
The Club’s motto, ‘Weaving spiders, come not here,’ conveys the Club’s character and purpose as a social, avocational organization.—
Wire Services,
Dallas News,
7 Apr. 2023
Noun
-
View gallery - 4 images A British hobbyist has applied multicopter drone thinking to radically simplify the steering and powertrain of his high-performance radio-control car – and absolutely demolished the world top speed record in the process.—
Loz Blain
January 15,
New Atlas,
15 Jan. 2026
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The call for proposals is open to both professional artists and hobbyists living in Cass, Clay, Douglas, Jackson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Platte and Wyandotte counties.—
Beth Lipoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Chan began as a singles skater and switched to pairs, partnering with Mitrofanov at the novice level.—
Alice Park,
Time,
12 Jan. 2026
-
But the harder the novice looks — and the greater the chaos inside them longing for order, even of a diabolical nature — the more clearly the horror will appear.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Nursing left off the professional degree list Under the new law, the Department of Education created a classification system that distinguishes professional from nonprofessional graduate degrees.—
Kymberlee Montgomery,
The Conversation,
7 Jan. 2026
-
O’Leary isn’t the only nonprofessional in Marty Supreme’s sprawling cast, which includes rapper Tyler the Creator, real-life table-tennis champion Koto Kawaguchi, filmmaker Abel Ferrara, and supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This is a bold and unapologetic novel for edge-seekers, doom-scrollers, latchkey kids, horn-dogs and all those who love hard.—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, district officials say ICE continues to hang out around their schools — keeping kids, parents and staff on edge.—
Reg Chapman,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateur. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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