maven

1 a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field an investment maven, he was doing well even when the market was doing poorly Synonyms ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack (also crackajack), dab [chiefly British], dab hand [chiefly British], fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, expert (also mavin), meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizardRelated Words pro, professional; consultant, hired gun, specialist; addict, aficionado (also afficionado), buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan; craftsman, journeyman; all-rounder [British], jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man; mistressNear Antonyms apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice; dabbler, dilettante; layman, nonprofessionalAntonyms amateur, inexpert, nonexpert

2 a person with a strong and habitual liking for something a science-fiction maven who could talk for hours about fictional technology Synonyms addict, aficionado (also afficionado), buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fanatic, fancier, fiend, fool, freak, habitué (also habitue), head, hound, junkie (also junky), lover, maniac, fan (also mavin), nut, suckerRelated Words groupie; admirer, amateur, collector, connoisseur, dilettante; authority, expert; adherent, convert, cultist, disciple, follower, hanger-on, votary; advocate, apostle, backer, champion, evangelist, exponent, friend, patron, promoter, proponent, supporter; partisan (also partizan), zealot; booster, rooter, well-wisher; faddistNear Antonyms nonadmirer; belittler, carper, critic, detractorAntonyms nonfan