as in amateur
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession
as a nonexpert, I enjoy her readable articles on physics and astronomy
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Recent Examples of nonexpert
Some of these entries are quite obscure for nonexperts, such as one that relies on an understanding of a five-cell von Neumann neighborhood.
—
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2026
For many everyday scenarios — especially low-resolution video calls and media shared on social media platforms — their realism is now high enough to reliably fool nonexpert viewers.
—Siwei Lyu, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
But nonexperts will struggle to determine what is essential and what is excessive in its highly specialized and technical realm.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
Even people skilled at communicating scientific principles to nonexperts have been lured into the debate trap.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2023
How can nonexperts figure out what to eat when the experts can’t agree?
—Tamar Haspel, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023
Now, ChatGPT and similar language processing tools promise to upend medical care again, providing patients with more data than a simple online search and explaining conditions and treatments in language nonexperts can understand.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2023
The often vague language used to describe the science behind these fragrances can also cause confusion for a nonexpert.
—Emily Jensen, Allure, 27 Jan. 2022
As a nonexpert who mainly uses mats for lazily stretching between episodes of romantic Korean dramas, there’s something soothing about a cork surface.
—Vogue, 8 Jan. 2022
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2026
For many everyday scenarios — especially low-resolution video calls and media shared on social media platforms — their realism is now high enough to reliably fool nonexpert viewers.
—Siwei Lyu, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
But nonexperts will struggle to determine what is essential and what is excessive in its highly specialized and technical realm.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
Even people skilled at communicating scientific principles to nonexperts have been lured into the debate trap.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2023
How can nonexperts figure out what to eat when the experts can’t agree?
—Tamar Haspel, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023
Now, ChatGPT and similar language processing tools promise to upend medical care again, providing patients with more data than a simple online search and explaining conditions and treatments in language nonexperts can understand.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2023
The often vague language used to describe the science behind these fragrances can also cause confusion for a nonexpert.
—Emily Jensen, Allure, 27 Jan. 2022
As a nonexpert who mainly uses mats for lazily stretching between episodes of romantic Korean dramas, there’s something soothing about a cork surface.
—Vogue, 8 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonexpert
Noun
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Holed up for 21 exhausting hours with their Iranian counterparts, the American amateur trio had to hold multiple opposed ideas in their minds at the same time while retaining the ability to function.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Neither amateurs nor studio photographers operated in exclusively Chinese ethnic spaces.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Mac mini has become a status symbol among AI tinkerers, and some analysts say the device’s growing popularity may preface a broader shift in how people use computers.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Cronenworth has always been quite the worker and quite the tinkerer in the cage.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some prominent conservative Catholic laymen, like Fox News host Sean Hannity, have risen to Trump’s defense.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
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The pipeline will provide up to 185,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas, an industry term that Fore admitted was difficult to explain for laymen.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonexpert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonexpert. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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