Meaning & use
amateurs
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“amateurs” is a form of “amateur”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
People who do an activity for enjoyment rather than as a paid job, such as a sport, art or hobby.
Grammar: Plural of amateur: one amateur, several amateurs.
Patterns
- amateurs and professionals
The tournament is open to amateurs as well as professionals.
Local amateurs painted the scenery for the school play.
A group of amateurs has built a telescope in a village hall.
nounpluraldisapproving
People who lack skill or experience and do a task badly, as if they were beginners.
Grammar: Often used in a critical way: they are just amateurs.
Patterns
- a bunch of amateurs
The repair was a mess; whoever did it was clearly a pair of amateurs.
Critics called the organizers amateurs after the schedule collapsed.
Don't let amateurs touch the wiring.
Word forms
| singular | amateur |
|---|
Common combinations
- keen amateurs
- The choir is made up of keen amateurs who meet every week.
- gifted amateurs
- Several gifted amateurs discovered new comets.
- amateurs and professionals
- The race welcomes both amateurs and professionals.
- a bunch of amateurs
- The whole project was run by a bunch of amateurs.
- enthusiastic amateurs
- Enthusiastic amateurs gather every spring to count the birds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hobbyists
- Hobbyists emphasize doing something as a pastime and carry no suggestion of poor skill, which amateurs sometimes does.
- novices
- Novices are newcomers who are still learning, while amateurs may be highly skilled but unpaid.
- dabblers
- Dabblers do something casually and without commitment, so it sounds more dismissive than amateurs.
- laypeople
- Laypeople lack specialist knowledge in a profession, whereas amateurs actually practice the activity.
Opposites
Word family
- amateur noun
- one person who does something for pleasure
- amateur adjective
- done for pleasure rather than money
- amateurish adjective
- showing a lack of skill
- amateurism noun
- the practice of doing things as an amateur
Commonly confused: amateurs or novices?
amateurs vs novices
Novices are beginners, but amateurs can be very skilled; the key difference is pay, not ability.
Practice
The Olympic Games once allowed only ___, so athletes were not paid for competing.
Choose one answer.
Amateurs compete without payment. Professionals are paid, so the sentence would contradict itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “amateurs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.