amateur
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.
characteristic of or engaged in by an amateur; nonprofessional: an amateur painter; amateur tennis.
Origin of amateur
1Other words for amateur
Other words from amateur
- pro·am·a·teur, adjective
Words that may be confused with amateur
- amateur , armature
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use amateur in a sentence
The pair came off, for all intents and purposes, as passionately opinionated amateurs on the subject at hand.
Karen Armstrong’s New Rule: Religion Isn’t Responsible for Violence | Patricia Pearson | October 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTJohansson needed a sparring partner, and a young, brash man, just a year out of the amateurs, volunteered.
The Stacks: Harold Conrad Was Many Things, But He Was Never, Ever Dull | Mark Jacobson | March 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut when it comes to invading privacy, the Bible makes the NSA look like a bunch of amateurs.
Both should know by now that amateurs do regime change; professionals do stabilization.
The U.S.’s ‘Yadda, Yadda, Yadda’ Doctrine for Syria | Jeremy Shapiro | September 15, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTAmateurs went hunting for the Boston bombers, and ended up hurting innocent people.
Others again, are, from their high price, beyond the reach of the greater number of amateurs.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph PearceThen again amateurs may resort to the old French makers, some old English and the Tyrolean, which may be had cheaper still.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph PearceSix regular poachers come daily to The Chequers, but there are many others hanging around who are merely amateurs.
The Chequers | James RuncimanAmateurs will perhaps sneer at these cynical maxims, but each can learn from them what he wishes.
Charles Baudelaire, His Life | Thophile GautierHow is it that amateurs invariably take better photographs than professionals?
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25) | Robert Louis Stevenson
British Dictionary definitions for amateur
/ (ˈæmətə, -tʃə, -ˌtjʊə, ˌæməˈtɜː) /
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 amateurs: an amateur event
amateurish; not professional or expert: an amateur approach
Origin of amateur
1Derived forms of amateur
- amateurism, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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