dilettante
[ dil-i-tahnt, dil-i-tahnt, -tahn-tey, -tan-tee ]
/ ˈdɪl ɪˌtɑnt, ˌdɪl ɪˈtɑnt, -ˈtɑn teɪ, -ˈtæn ti /
noun, plural dil·et·tantes, dil·et·tan·ti [dil-i-tahn-tee] /ˈdɪl ɪˈtɑn ti/.
a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.
a lover of an art or science, especially of a fine art.
adjective
of or relating to dilettantes.
Words nearby dilettante
Origin of dilettante
OTHER WORDS FROM dilettante
dil·et·tan·tish, dil·et·tan·te·ish, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for dilettantish
Men who marry rich, by contrast, are often seen as dilettantish—effete even.
Mitt Romney: The GOP’s Own John Kerry, or Is He More an Al Gore?|Michelle Cottle|January 14, 2012|DAILY BEASTHe was exceedingly well fixed in a money way—a sort of dilettantish architect, with offices in the Metropolitan Tower.
The Destroying Angel|Louis Joseph VanceHis dilettantish manner was gone for good, as was also his foppish beard.
Molly Brown of Kentucky|Nell SpeedEvelyns suggestions were unpractical and dilettantish, and Pepyss ramblings not over wise.
Haunted London|Walter Thornbury
British Dictionary definitions for dilettantish
dilettante
/ (ˌdɪlɪˈtɑːntɪ) /
noun plural -tantes or -tanti (-ˈtɑːntɪ)
a person whose interest in a subject is superficial rather than professional
a person who loves the arts
adjective
of or characteristic of a dilettante
Derived forms of dilettante
dilettantish or dilettanteish, adjectivedilettantism or dilettanteism, nounWord Origin for dilettante
C18: from Italian, from dilettare to delight, from Latin dēlectāre
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Culture definitions for dilettantish
dilettante
[ (dil-uh-tahnt, dil-uh-tahnt) ]
Someone who is interested in the fine arts as a spectator, not as a serious practitioner. Dilettante is most often used to mean a dabbler, someone with a broad but shallow attachment to any field.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.