dilettantes

variants or dilettanti
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 Thinking otherwise is the mistake of amateurs and dilettantes. — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 Packer and Srulovich aren’t dilettantes, either. — Lela London, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantes
Noun
  • Unlike every other film genre, the history of horror, at least since the 1950s, is a story of amateurs stumbling in the dark.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That group included Koivun, who just over a year ago was on the winning Walker Cup team for amateurs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Key leadership reshuffle The black box of China’s elite politics has long been a source of fascination for journalists, scholars and foreign governments alike.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In recent years, legal scholars have taken the right to equality as the starting point for advocating for access to fertility care.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Volunteers, who can include enthusiastic tinkerers, bike repair gurus and experienced handymen, help repair flat tires, broken lamps and clothing.
    — Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In the coming months, the company plans to add more functionality and self-serve features to allow a wider range of use cases and users, eventually reaching individual tinkerers.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Noun
  • Real Champagne connoisseurs know better than to store their bubbly in the fridge long-term.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Thankfully, the crew of The Pitt held it down for the fashion connoisseurs who stayed up late to see the stars who took the opportunity to switch things up for Emmys after-parties.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dilettantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantes. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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