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AMATEUR
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("amateur" is a kind of...):
individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "amateur"):
bird watcher; birder (a person who identifies and studies birds in their natural habitats)
dabbler; dilettante; sciolist (an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge)
hobbyist (a person who pursues an activity in their spare time for pleasure)
Derivation:
amateur (engaged in as a pastime)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An athlete who does not play for pay
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Hypernyms ("amateur" is a kind of...):
athlete; jock (a person trained to compete in sports)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "amateur"):
outdoor man; sporting man (someone who enjoys outdoor activities)
Antonym:
professional (an athlete who plays for pay)
Derivation:
amateur (engaged in as a pastime)
amateur (lacking professional skill or expertise)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Engaged in as a pastime
Example:
unpaid extras in the documentary
Synonyms:
amateur; recreational; unpaid
Classified under:
Similar:
nonprofessional (not professional; not engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or for gain)
Derivation:
amateur (someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime)
amateur (an athlete who does not play for pay)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Lacking professional skill or expertise
Example:
an unskilled painting
Synonyms:
amateur; amateurish; inexpert; unskilled
Classified under:
Similar:
unprofessional (not characteristic of or befitting a profession or one engaged in a profession)
Derivation:
amateur (an athlete who does not play for pay)
Context examples:
After the removal of the cloth, and the singing of Non Nobis (beautifully executed, and in which we were at no loss to distinguish the bell-like notes of that gifted amateur, WILKINS MICAWBER, ESQUIRE, JUNIOR), the usual loyal and patriotic toasts were severally given and rapturously received.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
I do not speak upon this subject as an amateur, nor, I may add, as a popular lecturer, but I speak as one whose scientific conscience compels him to adhere closely to facts, when I say that Mr. Waldron is very wrong in supposing that because he has never himself seen a so-called prehistoric animal, therefore these creatures no longer exist.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Amateur researcher and systems engineer Yutaka Iwasaki of Kobe, Japan came across military records that showed a Japanese bomber had attacked a U.S. vessel in late February, but the coordinates it gave differed from the Navy's figures for the Grayback by one digit.
(Lost 52 Project announces discovery of wrecked sub near Okinawa, Wikinews)
Named UbatubaSat, the students' satellite can be the first fully Brazilian satellite to operate in orbit, where it will be able to measure the distance of space probes, detect forming space bubbles, communicate with amateur radio operators, and send messages recorded by students.
(Satellite made by Brazilian junior high students launched in Japan, Agência Brasil)
Amateur astronomers may contribute more observations, but the asteroid will be very difficult for backyard astronomers to see, as current estimates are that it will reach a visual magnitude of only about 17 at its brightest, and it will be moving very fast across the sky.
(Asteroid Tracking Network Observes Close Approach, NASA)
More than one hundred follow-up observations from NASA-funded, ground-based telescopes and amateur astronomers were used to pin down the orbit of the asteroid out to the year 2200, during which time it poses no risk to Earth.
(Asteroid discovered by NASA to pass Earth safely, NASA)
On all sides of me I heard a brisk discussion from amateurs and professionals of Jim’s performance and of his prospects.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
I soon forgot him in the contemplation of Steerforth, who, in an easy amateur way, and without any book (he seemed to me to know everything by heart), took some of his classes until a new master was found.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
It may be that the police resented the intrusion of an amateur, or that they imagined themselves to be upon some hopeful line of investigation; but it is certain that we heard nothing from them for the next two days.
(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Amateur sport is free from betting, but a good deal of outside betting goes on among the public, and it is possible that it might be worth someone’s while to get at a player as the ruffians of the turf get at a race-horse.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
