nonprofessional

American  

[non-pruh-fesh-uh-nl] / ˌnɒn prəˈfɛʃ ə nl /

adjective

1. not a member of or trained in a specific profession.

2. Sports. not offering or engaged in for payment or a monetary prize; amateur.

   a nonprofessional league; a nonprofessional player.

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noun

1. a person who is not a professional.

2. an amateur athlete.

nonprofessional British  

/ ˌnɒnprəˈfɛʃənəl /

adjective

1. not of, relating to, suitable for, or engaged in a profession

2. not undertaken or performed for gain or by people who are paid

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Other Word Forms

• nonprofessionalism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of nonprofessional

First recorded in 1795–1805; non- + professional

Example Sentences

GameStop gained fame during the meme-stock craze of 2021, in which nonprofessional retail traders left idle by pandemic lockdowns bid up the stocks of beleaguered companies.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

For most nonprofessional investors, the history of broad declines in the stock market has shown that it has been best to be patient, because attempts to time the market are likely to fail.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

That would whack stocks, as nonprofessional investors have reliably bought every dip because they have been conditioned to believe stocks always rise.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

The young director worked closely with the community, auditioning nonprofessional and professional actors, but admits “it was a really hard job” that took a year and a half.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

From the brown chair Miss Ellis was staring at her with a very nonprofessional glare.

From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson