connoisseur

[kon-uh-sur, -soor]

noun

1. a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste.

   a connoisseur of modern art.

2. a discerning judge of the best in any field.

   a connoisseur of horses.

connoisseur

/ ˌkɒnɪˈsɜː /

noun

1. a person with special knowledge or appreciation of a field, esp in the arts

Other Word Forms

• connoisseurship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of connoisseur¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from French; Old French conoiseor, from Latin cognōscitōr- (stem of cognōscitor ) “knower”; cognoscible, -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of connoisseur¹

C18: from French, from Old French conoiseor, from connoistre to know, from Latin cognōscere

Example Sentences

Roth, the real-estate investor, wouldn’t describe herself as a wine connoisseur, though she did buy bottles at many of the stops the campers made.

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I am a connoisseur; you are a collector; he is a hoarder; she doesn’t collect so much.

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His screen persona has often been the sleaziest of weasels, the connoisseur’s moral degenerate.

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Short and stout, he was unprepossessing and—especially unfortunate for a connoisseur of visual art—would soon lose the use of one eye in a car accident.

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In total, the Cheech has held at least seven different exhibitions that showcased artists from across the Inland Empire — at times, catching Marin’s connoisseur eyes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aficionado 
• buff 
• devotee 
• dilettante