amateur

American  

[am-uh-choor, -cher, -ter, am-uh-tur] / ˈæm əˌtʃʊər, -tʃər, -tər, ˌæm əˈtɜr /

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 British  

/ -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

• amateurism noun
• proamateur adjective

Etymology

Origin of amateur

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

Example Sentences

Rising English star Woad, meanwhile, who only turned professional last year after claiming a third place finish at the Evian Championship as an amateur, drained four birdies with only one bogey in her three-under-par 69.

From Barron's

"There's professional leagues in Europe, but it's still an amateur sport in the UK," adds Great Britain's under-17s head coach Mike Davies, who also works as the offensive co-ordinator for Coventry Phoenix.

From BBC

After nearly 50 years coaching professional football, why Belichick accepted an offer to step down to the amateur leagues remains a big question.

From BBC

A British tour agency plans to host an international golf event in North Korea this year, the amateur event's website showed Tuesday.

From Barron's

Its relative closeness and striking structure have made it a favorite target for both amateur skywatchers and professional astronomers.

From Science Daily