dilettantes

variants or dilettanti
plural of dilettante
1
as in amateurs
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession a dilettante at heart, she was never willing to commit the time and effort that ballet demands

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2
as in scholars
dated a person having a knowledgeable and fine appreciation of the arts she writes about art not from the point of view of an artist but from that of a committed dilettante

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dilettantes Thinking otherwise is the mistake of amateurs and dilettantes. — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 Packer and Srulovich aren’t dilettantes, either. — Lela London, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantes
Noun
  • The London edition of Frieze, a longstanding highlight on the global art calendar that draws an annual pilgrimage of high-net-worth collectors, advisors, dealers, curators, institutional directors and amateurs to the British capital.
    — Mahoro Seward, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Investors follow, with professionals leading the way and amateurs jumping in later.
    — RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The royal heir visited East London to meet with scholars and alumni of The Amos Bursary, an organization dedicated to expanding educational and career opportunities for young people of African and Caribbean heritage.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2026
  • From Black historians to disability scholars, archivists to musicians, film is a global medium through which people learn about the world and each other.
    — Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Volunteers, who can include enthusiastic tinkerers, bike repair gurus and experienced handymen, help repair flat tires, broken lamps and clothing.
    — Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In the coming months, the company plans to add more functionality and self-serve features to allow a wider range of use cases and users, eventually reaching individual tinkerers.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
Noun
  • Long revered by Italian connoisseurs but little known elsewhere, Leoncillo is enjoying something of a revival.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Less heralded but still beloved by Alpine connoisseurs of a certain age is its successor, the A310.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dilettantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantes. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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