amateur

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A person who does an activity for pleasure rather than as a paid job.

   As an amateur, she paints in the evenings after work.

2. 2
   adj

   Done as a hobby rather than for money.

   He plays in an amateur football league on weekends.

3. 3
   adj

   Lacking skill or done without professional quality.

   The repair looked amateur, with uneven paint everywhere.

4. 4
   noun

   A person who lacks skill or experience at something.

   The whole thing was built by amateurs and fell apart in a week.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Amateur was borrowed from French in the late 18th century and derives ultimately from Latin amator, meaning “lover.” It originally described someone who loved or was fond of something, someone who practised an art or sport as a hobby rather than professionally, or someone inept at an activity.

Borrowed from French amateur, from Latin amātor (“lover”), from amāre (“to love”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary