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amateur
[ am-uh-choor, -cher, -ter, am-uh-tur ]
/ ˈæm əˌtʃʊər, -tʃər, -tər, ˌæm əˈtɜr /
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noun
a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons.Compare professional.
an athlete who has never competed for payment or for a monetary prize.
a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity: Hunting lions is not for amateurs.
a person who admires something; devotee; fan: an amateur of the cinema.
adjective
characteristic of or engaged in by an amateur; nonprofessional: an amateur painter; amateur tennis.
OTHER WORDS FOR amateur
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Origin of amateur
OTHER WORDS FROM amateur
pro·am·a·teur, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH amateur
amateur , armatureWords nearby amateur
Amasa, amass, Amata, amate, Amaterasu, amateur, amateurish, amateurism, amateur night, Amati, amative
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use amateur in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for amateur
amateur
/ (ˈæmətə, -tʃə, -ˌtjʊə, ˌæməˈtɜː) /
noun
a person who engages in an activity, esp a sport, as a pastime rather than professionally or for gain
an athlete or sportsman
a person unskilled in or having only a superficial knowledge of a subject or activity
a person who is fond of or admires something
(modifier) consisting of or for amateursan amateur event
adjective
amateurish; not professional or expertan amateur approach
Derived forms of amateur
amateurism, nounWord Origin for amateur
C18: from French, from Latin amātor lover, from amāre to love
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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