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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
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
Arguments can be made that NIL has put the final nail in the coffin to eliminate amateurism in college sports, but truthfully, amateurism in college sports died some time ago as the NCAA, institutions and media profited off the athletes.
—Eddie Edwards Jr, Baltimore Sun, 5 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
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
Arguments can be made that NIL has put the final nail in the coffin to eliminate amateurism in college sports, but truthfully, amateurism in college sports died some time ago as the NCAA, institutions and media profited off the athletes.
—Eddie Edwards Jr, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateurism
Noun
-
Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Clevenger said one of the frustrating aspects of his injuries is his inability to catch his twin brother, Ben, a pitcher who also was Benet’s quarterback last season.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Same inability to rise to the moment.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amateurism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateurism. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
