amateur 1 of 3

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amateur

2 of 3

noun (1)

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

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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

amateurishness

3 of 3

noun (2)

as in amateurism
a lack of the level of skill associated with an expert or professional I was surprised at the amateurishness of the dance presentation, considering it was put on by supposed professionals

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of amateur
Noun
Just one tweak that would help any amateur arrangist out: Think different lengths. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 May 2025 Sure, there were some pretentious amateurs on the other side of the camera, but the most successful physique photographers were pros with recognizable styles. Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 May 2025 What’s what’s really exciting about an amateur tournament compared to a professional one? Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2025 McDermott went on to a career in finance and today has three sons of his own, but for years was a dominating presence in the Philadelphia-area amateur ranks as well as on a national level. Erik Matuszewski, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for amateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateur
Adjective
  • Again, avocational people being kind of ahead of the archaeological profession.
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2024
  • The avocational musicians rehearse three hours each Monday evening through the academic year, with two additional rehearsals during concert weeks.
    Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023
Adjective
  • An author inevitably faces the threat of proportional imbalance: a glut of one (the tantalizing range of delicacies eaten) and want of the other (the nonprofessional life lived).
    Charlotte Druckman, New York Times, 14 May 2025
  • Diop cast nonprofessional actors from across Dakar.
    Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024

Cite this Entry

“Amateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateur. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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