as in amateurishness
a lack of the level of skill associated with an expert or professional
the new defense secretary proceeded to criticize the amateurism of the nation's war effort up to that point
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Recent Examples of amateurism
There was also a path through college hockey, which was typically forged by a stop in the United States Hockey League (USHL), which met NCAA amateurism rules.
—
ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Last summer’s House settlement, which permits schools to directly pay their athletes roughly $20 million this year across all sports, drove a final stake through the college amateurism model.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Here and elsewhere, global scrutiny regarding environmental preservation has reached unprecedented levels, and there is less of a tolerence for the intuition or amateurism that, for decades, characterized certain segments of the industry.
—Marcelo Assunção, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026
What struck Rigby Assad wasn’t the amateurism of the inquiry but its internal logic.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
The rise of name, image and likeness has transformed college athletics, intensifying debate over amateurism for student-athletes.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 27 Feb. 2026
The definition of amateurism has become a hot topic in recent months, particularly in college basketball with some instances of former G-League and international players being granted eligibility.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2026
For a long time, amateurism was the name of the game at the Olympics.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Inside athletic departments across the country, executives are coping with financial impacts driven by the death of amateurism in high-level college sports.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Last summer’s House settlement, which permits schools to directly pay their athletes roughly $20 million this year across all sports, drove a final stake through the college amateurism model.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Here and elsewhere, global scrutiny regarding environmental preservation has reached unprecedented levels, and there is less of a tolerence for the intuition or amateurism that, for decades, characterized certain segments of the industry.
—Marcelo Assunção, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026
What struck Rigby Assad wasn’t the amateurism of the inquiry but its internal logic.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
The rise of name, image and likeness has transformed college athletics, intensifying debate over amateurism for student-athletes.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 27 Feb. 2026
The definition of amateurism has become a hot topic in recent months, particularly in college basketball with some instances of former G-League and international players being granted eligibility.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2026
For a long time, amateurism was the name of the game at the Olympics.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Inside athletic departments across the country, executives are coping with financial impacts driven by the death of amateurism in high-level college sports.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateurism
Noun
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Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Unsurprisingly, Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry had his new head coach's back while trashing former coach Brian Kelly and his inability to relate to boosters or fans during his time in Baton Rouge.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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Andrews’s essay comes to the defense of former Harvard President Larry Summers, who resigned under pressure in 2006 after arguing that women might be underrepresented in the hard sciences because of their innate lack of interest in those fields and their inability to perform at the highest levels.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amateurism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateurism. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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