# amateur

Pronunciation: US say "AM-uh-chur" /ˈæ.mə.t͡ʃɚ/; UK say "AM-uh-tuh" /ˈæ.mə.tə/

## Noun

1. A person devoted to a pursuit, study, or art, such as music or painting, who engages in it for pleasure rather than professionally.
   - Simple: A person who does an activity like music or painting for fun, not as a job.
   - _The tournament is open to amateurs as well as professional golfers._
   - _Though only an amateur, he discovered a new comet with his backyard telescope._
4. Someone who lacks the qualifications or skill to do something competently.
   - Simple: A person who is not good at something or has little skill.
   - _The negotiation collapsed because they sent an amateur to face a team of seasoned lawyers._
   - _Only amateurs would wire an electrical panel without shutting off the power first._

## Adjective

2. Not professional; taking part in an activity as a pastime rather than as a paid occupation.
   - Simple: Doing or done as a hobby, not as a paid job.
   - _She remained an amateur athlete throughout college to protect her eligibility._
   - _Amateur radio operators must pass a licensing exam but earn nothing from their broadcasts._
3. Created, done, or populated by people who are not professionals.
   - Simple: Made or done by people who do it for fun, not as a job.
   - _The earthquake's first images came from amateur footage shot on phones._
   - _An amateur production of the musical sold out the community theater for two weekends._
5. Marked by a lack of professionalism, experience, or talent.
   - Simple: Done in a way that shows little skill, care, or experience.
   - _The report was riddled with amateur errors that no experienced editor would have missed._
   - _Critics dismissed the film's special effects as amateur and unconvincing._

## Noun

6. A lover of something; a person devoted to or fond of a particular thing. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A person who loves or really enjoys something.
   - _A noted amateur of porcelain, he filled his townhouse with delicate vases._
   - _The count was an amateur of horses and rarely missed a race._

## Origin

Borrowed from French amateur, which comes from Latin amātor ("lover"), from amāre ("to love").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/amateur (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).