amateur Hear it!

amateur definition

ama·teur (am′ə c̸hər, -c̸ho̵or′; -ə tʉr′, -ə tər)

noun

  1. a person who engages in some art, science, sport, etc. for the pleasure of it rather than for money; a nonprofessional; specif., an athlete who is variously forbidden by rule to profit from athletic activity
  2. a person who does something without professional skill
  3. a person who is somewhat unskillful

Etymology: Fr < L amator, lover < pp. of amare, to love

adjective

  1. of or done by an amateur or amateurs
  2. being an amateur or made up of amateurs
  3. amateurish

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.