amateur

[am-uh-choor, -cher, -ter, am-uh-tur]

noun

1. a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons.

2. an athlete who has never competed for payment or for a monetary prize.

   Synonyms: nonprofessional

3. a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity.

   Hunting lions is not for amateurs.

   Synonyms: novice, tyro, dilettante

4. a person who admires something; devotee; fan.

   an amateur of the cinema.

adjective

1. characteristic of or engaged in by an amateur; nonprofessional.

   an amateur painter; amateur tennis.

amateur

/ -tʃə, ˌæməˈtɜː, ˈæmətə, -ˌtjʊə /

noun

1. a person who engages in an activity, esp a sport, as a pastime rather than professionally or for gain

2. an athlete or sportsman

3. a person unskilled in or having only a superficial knowledge of a subject or activity

4. a person who is fond of or admires something

5. (modifier) consisting of or for amateurs

   an amateur event

adjective

1. amateurish; not professional or expert

   an amateur approach

Other Word Forms

• proamateur adjective
• amateurism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of amateur¹

1775–85; < French, Middle French < Latin amātor lover, equivalent to amā- (stem of amāre to love) + -tor -tor, replaced by French -teur (< Latin -tōr-, oblique stem of -tor ); -eur

Word History and Origins

Origin of amateur¹

C18: from French, from Latin amātor lover, from amāre to love

Example Sentences

Organisers of the year's first Grand Slam tournament announced the 'Million Dollar One Point Slam' on Tuesday, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals.

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Pete Andrews, head of sport at Channel 4, said the broadcaster was "thrilled to have secured the rights to one of the most iconic amateur sports events in the British calendar".

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In “The Thursday Murder Club’s” fifth outing, the Coopers Chase retirement community’s amateur sleuths are in a lull after their last case.

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There is no conclusive evidence for either of these theories - but that hasn't stopped amateur and professional historians from digging into them.

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It is a very different scenario now to when England last won the World Cup in 2014, where an entirely amateur side beat Canada in Dublin before going back to their daily lives shortly after.

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