1
as in inexperienced
being such only for recreation
an amateur cabinetmaker, he derives immense satisfaction from finely crafting his own furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in amateurish
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
in every room there were amateur watercolors, apparently the work of the innkeeper's wife
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tinkerer
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession
an amateur photographer who has won a number of photo contests
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beginner
a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science
a homemade doghouse that looked like it was built by an amateur who hadn't mastered basic carpentry
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of amateur
Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Growing up in a highly musical family, he was often enlisted to accompany his father, an amateur vocalist and guitar player who loved performing boleros.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Some of the amateur sleuthing is missing important context, said Nancy Gutierrez, a spokesperson for Washington’s Department of Children, Youth & Families.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amateur
Adjective
Starring Mia McKenna-Bruce as the amateur detective Lady Bundle Brent, along with Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman.
—Noun
Musk, who owns X, wants to promote the belief that the truth can be found on social media, and that the practitioners of real journalism are allegedly independent amateurs, such as Shirley, who can ask questions without being cowed by the woke agenda.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateur
Adjective
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Ten of the top 15 quarterbacks in the portal have already committed, and after that top tier, many of the remaining quarterbacks available are either young, inexperienced passers from Power 4 programs or starters from Group of 5 or FCS schools.—
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According to the University of Massachusetts Global, teacher turnover results in a large number of inexperienced teachers being placed in classrooms, meaning more money is put toward recruiting, hiring and training.—
Noun
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Blanc, who lived in Des Moines, Iowa, wasn’t the first tinkerer to try unclogging drains by running a cable through pipes.—
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Micron’s Crucial brand sold memory on sticks that tinkerers could use to build their own PCs or upgrade their laptops.—
Noun
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The point is, vinyasa beginners and yogi pros alike can benefit from having a guide to what to wear to yoga class.—
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Las Coladas Trail is a fan favorite, allowing hikers to walk across ancient lava flows on a beginner-friendly hike (roughly a mile round trip).—
Adjective
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Again, avocational people being kind of ahead of the archaeological profession.—
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The Club’s motto, ‘Weaving spiders, come not here,’ conveys the Club’s character and purpose as a social, avocational organization.—
Noun
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View gallery - 4 images A British hobbyist has applied multicopter drone thinking to radically simplify the steering and powertrain of his high-performance radio-control car – and absolutely demolished the world top speed record in the process.—
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The call for proposals is open to both professional artists and hobbyists living in Cass, Clay, Douglas, Jackson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Platte and Wyandotte counties.—
Noun
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Chan began as a singles skater and switched to pairs, partnering with Mitrofanov at the novice level.—
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But the harder the novice looks — and the greater the chaos inside them longing for order, even of a diabolical nature — the more clearly the horror will appear.—
Adjective
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Nursing left off the professional degree list Under the new law, the Department of Education created a classification system that distinguishes professional from nonprofessional graduate degrees.—
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O’Leary isn’t the only nonprofessional in Marty Supreme’s sprawling cast, which includes rapper Tyler the Creator, real-life table-tennis champion Koto Kawaguchi, filmmaker Abel Ferrara, and supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis.—
Noun
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Here, a look at the new kids on the block, arriving just in time for the season.—
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Elk Grove city leaders are now taking steps to ban kids from parking off campus.—
Cite this Entry
“Amateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateur. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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