dilettantes

variants or dilettanti
Definition of dilettantesnext
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

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Recent Examples of dilettantes Packer and Srulovich aren’t dilettantes, either. Lela London, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantes
Noun
  • The amateurs approached questions with an open mind, were less sure of their initial conclusions, and considered a wider range of evidence before committing to an answer.
    Bryce Hoffman, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
  • The cast and crew comprise both amateurs and professionals.
    Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • China Institute was founded in 1926 by American educators John Dewey and Paul Monroe, along with Chinese diplomat-scholars Hu Shih and Kuo Ping-Wen.
    Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • Thomas’s account of Progressivism as a malign force threatening individual liberty echoes an argument developed by scholars at the conservative Claremont Institute.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Noun
  • The 19th-century patent system rewarded tinkerers; corporate labs scaled systematic research; wartime partnerships mobilized national resources; and venture capital democratized risk-taking.
    David H. Hsu, Fortune, 11 May 2026
  • Unlike her earlier Fame Monster remixes, which served utilitarian club fodder to capitalize on her debut, Dawn delightfully surrendered its source material to a wise cast of pop, rap, and dance tinkerers like Ashnikko and Dorian Electra.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • Longtime connoisseurs of the Sam’s Club bakery may recognize this one.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
  • Today, the destination continues to wow culinary connoisseurs with its unique offerings informed by Native American and Mexican traditions.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dilettantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantes. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

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