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amateur

a·ma·teur

amateur

 
 
pronunciation:
ae m chr
parts of speech:
noun, adjective
features:
Word Combinations (noun, adjective), Word History, Word Explorer, Word Parts
part of speech: noun
definition 1: one who pursues an activity or is devoted to a study purely for intrinsic reward rather than monetary gain.
Her teacher thinks she's good enough to be a professional violinist, but she is happy being an amateur.
antonyms:
professional
similar words:
buff, hobbyist
definition 2: an athlete who receives no monetary prize, salary, or other payment for competition.
Olympic athletes, in general, are no longer required to be amateurs.
antonyms:
pro, professional
definition 3: one who is unskilled in a given area or activity.
Don't trust your electrical work to amateurs; call in someone who knows what he's doing.
antonyms:
ace, expert, master, pro, professional
similar words:
beginner, dabbler, dilettante, greenhorn, layman, neophyte, novice, tyro
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part of speech: adjective
definition 1: of or pertaining to an amateur or amateurs; not professional.
He loves to be involved in amateur theater and has no desire to be a professional actor.Our town's amateur theater puts on ten plays a year.
synonyms:
nonprofessional
antonyms:
expert, pro, professional
similar words:
dabbling, lay
definition 2: lacking or not demonstrating skill or competence.
It seemed like an amateur performance for a theater group supposedly made up of professionals.I apologize for that amateur rendition of a great song.
synonyms:
amateurish, incompetent, unpolished, unprofessional, unskilled
antonyms:
expert, professional
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Word History
Amateur is a French word that means "lover of."
Word Explorer
See
  sport, theater
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