as in amateurism
a lack of the level of skill associated with an expert or professional
no charge of dilettantism could ever be leveled at English physicist Henry Cavendish, whose immense wealth allowed him to devote his life to scientific pursuits
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantism
Noun
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There was also a path through college hockey, which was typically forged by a stop in the United States Hockey League (USHL), which met NCAA amateurism rules.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026 -
Last summer’s House settlement, which permits schools to directly pay their athletes roughly $20 million this year across all sports, drove a final stake through the college amateurism model.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even when Florida’s lead was insurmountable, Golden was conscious of when to play Rioux because of his inability to keep up with the pace of the game and maintain endurance.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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The questions go to the heart of the frustration expressed by business leaders such as Sim Tshabalala, Standard Bank’s boss, who warned just this month at Semafor World Economy that South Africa’s anemic economic growth was down to the state’s basic inability to uphold the rule of law.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Sensing hesitance as well as incompetence, coaches and players alike tried to sway the flailing fill-ins at every turn.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Instead, the Wolves allowed a period of incompetence to define the affair, a trait that defined numerous games throughout the regular season.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dilettantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantism. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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