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Definition of amateur noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

amateur

noun
 
 
/ˈæmətə(r)/,
 
/ˈæmətʃə(r)/
 
/ˈæmətər/,
 
/ˈæmətʃər/
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  1.  
    a person who takes part in a sport or other activity for pleasure, not as a job
    • The tournament is open to both amateurs and professionals.
    Extra Examples
    • I was competing as an amateur.
    • Many scientists of the period were gentleman amateurs.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • gifted
    • talented
    • top
    • …
    preposition
    • as an amateur
    See full entry
  2.  
    (usually disapproving) a person who does not have enough skill to be able to do something well
    • This work was done by a bunch of amateurs!
    • The others had been skiing since they could walk and made her look a rank amateur.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • bumbling
    • complete
    • rank
    • …
    … of amateurs
    • bunch
    See full entry
    3. opposite professional
    Word Originlate 18th cent.: from French, from Italian amatore, from Latin amator ‘lover’, from amare ‘to love’.
See amateur in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: amateur

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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