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amateur

noun

am·​a·​teur ˈa-mə-chər How to pronounce amateur (audio)
-ˌchu̇r,
-(ˌ)tər How to pronounce amateur (audio) -ˌtu̇r How to pronounce amateur (audio)
-ˌtyu̇r
1
: one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession
She played soccer as an amateur before turning professional.
a tournament that is open to both amateurs and professionals
2
: one lacking in experience and competence in an art or science
The people running that company are a bunch of amateurs.
He's a mere amateur when it comes to cooking.
3
: devotee, admirer
I am a philologist or amateur of the language … Phillip Howard
amateur adjective
an amateur athlete
amateurish
ˌa-mə-ˈchər-ish
-ˈchu̇r-
-ˈtər-
-ˈtu̇r- How to pronounce amateur (audio)
-ˈtyu̇r
adjective
amateurishly adverb
amateurishness noun
amateurism
ˈa-mə-chər-ˌi-zəm
-ˌchu̇r-
-(ˌ)tər- How to pronounce amateur (audio)
-ˌtu̇r-
-ˌtyu̇r-
noun

Did you know?

Should amateur only be used literally?

The earliest sense of amateur ("one that has a marked fondness, liking, or taste") is strongly connected to its roots: the word came into English from the French amateur, which in turn comes from the Latin word for “lover” (amator). This has led some people to assume that the word is properly used only in the sense “one who performs something for love rather than for money.” However, as is the case with so many other English words, amateur may mean two strikingly different things, referring to one who does something for the love of it and also to one who is not terribly competent at something.

Our earliest record of the word's literal sense comes from a 1777 source. By 1790, however, it was already being used in the somewhat condescending extended sense, as seen in George Rous’s description of Edmund Burke as “a bystander, a mere amateur of aristocracy” in his Thoughts on Government.

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for amateur

amateur, dilettante, dabbler, tyro mean a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status.

amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials

a painting obviously done by an amateur

; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration.

remained an amateur despite lucrative offers

dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment.

had no patience for dilettantes

dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence.

a dabbler who started novels but never finished them

tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering.

shows talent but is still a mere tyro

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Under Elias, the Orioles have dramatically reformatted their front office, building out an analytics department and diving into international amateur scouting at a far steeper level than the organization had previously. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 18 June 2022 On March 4, the team dismissed vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley and assistant general manager of pro evaluation Ryan Stewart. Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2022 On Friday, Davidson fired Mark Kelley, vice president of amateur scouting, and Ryan Stewart, assistant general manager of pro evaluation. Phil Thompson, chicagotribune.com, 9 Mar. 2022 Additionally, the amateur draft was cut from 40 rounds to 20. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2022 Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith return to the baking tent with a new group of amateur bakers this fall. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 19 Aug. 2022 In addition to being an amateur, competitors must be no younger than 25 years old. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2022 Another group of amateur bakers compete on the most recent season of the popular show. oregonlive, 14 Dec. 2021 Nothing strikes fear into the heart of amateur bakers quite like the idea of making homemade pie dough. Casey Barber, CNN, 12 Dec. 2021 See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, "one who loves, lover," borrowed from Latin amātor "lover, enthusiastic admirer, devotee," from amāre "to have affection for, love, be in love, make love to" (of uncertain origin) + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix

Note: Latin amāre has been explained as an original stative verb with -ē- (hence, *ama-ē-, comparable to *sta-ē- > stāre "to stand"), formed from a root present *ama-, going back to an Indo-European verbal base *h2m̥h3- or *h3m̥h3- "take hold of, grasp" (whence also Sanskrit ámīti "takes hold of, swears," Greek ómnymi, omnýnai "to affirm with an oath," presumably originally "hold fast to an object while swearing"). Semantically the development in Latin is hypothetically "to grasp the hand of" > "to treat as a friend" > "to love." Supporting the presence of the verbal base in Italic would be the form amatens, allegedly, "(they) have seized" or "they have received" in a Sabellic text (the Aes Rapinum of the ancient Marrucini). According to an older theory amāre may be linked to a group of expressive/nursery words, as Latin amita "aunt," *amma "mother" (presumed from derivatives in personal names), Oscan ammai (dative singular) "mother." Another point of comparison with amāre has been Old Irish námae (genitive námat) "enemy," if it goes back to a participial formation *n(e)-h2m̥h3-(e)nt- "not loving" (compare Latin inimicus enemy), though the verbal base *h2emh3- is not otherwise attested in this or any other sense in Celtic. Concerning the derivative amīcus "friend" see note at amiable.

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of amateur was in 1757

Phrases Containing amateur

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