amateur

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈæmətər/

US:USA pronunciation: IPAUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈæməˌtʃʊr, -tʃɚ, -tɚ/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(am′ə chŏŏr′, -chər, -tər, am′ə tûr′)



WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
am•a•teur /ˈæməˌtʃʊr, -tʃɚ, -tɚ/USA pronunciation   n. 
    [countable]
  1. a person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than for money.
  2. Sportan athlete who has not competed for payment or for a monetary prize (contrasted with professional).
  3. a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity.

adj. [usually: before a noun]
  1. relating to, characteristic of, or engaged in by an amateur:amateur tennis.
  2. amateurish:amateur efforts at ballet dancing.
am•a•teur•ism, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
am•a•teur  (am′ə chŏŏr′, -chər, -tər, am′ə tûr′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. Cf. professional.
  2. Sportan athlete who has never competed for payment or for a monetary prize.
  3. a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity:Hunting lions is not for amateurs.
  4. a person who admires something;
    devotee;
    fan:an amateur of the cinema.

adj. 
  1. characteristic of or engaged in by an amateur;
    nonprofessional:an amateur painter; amateur tennis.
  • Latin -tōr-, oblique stem of -tor); see -eur
  • Latin amātor lover, equivalent. to amā- (stem of amāre to love) + -tor -tor, replaced by French -teur (
  • French, Middle French
  • 1775–85
    • 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged nonprofessional.
    • 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged dilettante, tyro, novice.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
amateur / ˈæmətə -tʃə -ˌtjʊə ˌæməˈtɜː/
  1. a person who engages in an activity, esp a sport, as a pastime rather than professionally or for gain
  2. a person unskilled in or having only a superficial knowledge of a subject or activity
  3. a person who is fond of or admires something
  4. (modifier) consisting of or for amateurs: an amateur event
  1. amateurish; not professional or expert: an amateur approach
Etymology: 18th Century: from French, from Latin amātor lover, from amāre to loveˈamateurism
'amateur' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
A.A.U. - AAA - AAAA - AHAUS - ASA - CQ - Corinthian - IAAF - Jones - Pan American Games - Stableford - Stanley Cup - aba - aficionado - all - amadou - amateur night - amateurish - amateurism - avid - ball club - bantam - bantamweight - call letters - call sign - collegium musicum - computerist - dilettante - draft - drop kick - featherweight - flyweight - freestyle - full nelson - gaillardia - ham - heavyweight - hustler - in-between - jackleg - labor of love - lay - level - light flyweight - light heavyweight - light middleweight - light welterweight - lightweight - little theater - log
Collocations: a [guide, class, manual] for amateurs, a [competition, tournament, contest] for amateurs, The [competition] is open to amateurs., more...

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