dilettantes

variants or dilettanti
Definition of dilettantesnext
plural of dilettante
1
as in amateurs
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession a dilettante at heart, she was never willing to commit the time and effort that ballet demands

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2
as in scholars
dated a person having a knowledgeable and fine appreciation of the arts she writes about art not from the point of view of an artist but from that of a committed dilettante

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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 dilettantes Packer and Srulovich aren’t dilettantes, either. Lela London, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantes
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
  • Costly athletic hobbies Wealthy amateurs are spending big money to compete in endurance events around the world.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Rolling Stone spoke with two scholars who explain that the clips, overwhelmingly targeting Black women, play on decades-old stereotypes used to slander welfare recipients.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Multiple scholars focus on the Black and Native experiences, allowing those sides of the stories to feel like more than mere footnotes, if never truly focal.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • The Ringbrothers Kingpin was unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show (SEMA) in Las Vegas, which is a haven for aftermarket wizards, tuners, and auto tinkerers of all stripes.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Whiskey connoisseurs may not have to worry about supplies running low.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
  • Our group included a mix of Scotch connoisseurs and novices—those willing to learn and those more interested in the train’s other trappings.
    Jake Emen, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dilettantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantes. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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