hobbyist

American  

[hob-ee-ist] / ˈhɒb i ɪst /

noun

1. a person who engages in a hobby, an interest or activity pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as one’s main occupation.

   The state’s 500 beekeepers range from hobbyists to mom-and-pop businesses to large commercial operations.

---

Etymology

Origin of hobbyist

hobby ¹ ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Example Sentences

These hobbyist hawkshaws view homicide cases as puzzles, while the people linked to them, guilty or innocent, are the tougher cases to crack.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2026

Heir to a construction fortune and hobbyist jet pilot Anutin Charnvirakul is widely expected to remain Thailand's prime minister after this weekend's general election, regardless of the result.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Raspberry Pi, a maker of specialist and hobbyist computers, warned Tuesday that the memory-chip price surge will hit profits this year.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 13, 2026

That’s harmless if you’re a knitting hobbyist who might overestimate how many fellow citizens know the difference between a knit and a purl stitch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

She calls herself a hobbyist, but she’s good.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Related Words

• connoisseur