non-expertadj.n.
/nɒnˈɛkspəːt/, U.S. /ˌnɑnˈɛkspərt/ A. adj.
Of a person: that is not expert; not belonging to or consisting of experts.
ΚΠ
1855 Asylum Jrnl. No. 12. 178/2 He was examined by various medical men expert and non-expert.
1895 Amer. Naturalist 29 1144 This plan tends only to an increase of non-expert membership, which is really at the bottom of all the evils which have befallen scientific societies.
1934 Burlington Mag. Sept. 137/2 Tapestries are attractive to many non-expert amateurs.
1955 T. H. Pear Eng. Social Differences 88 It might seem a waste of time to listen to a non-expert opinion about anyone's speech.
1992 Lit. & Ling. Computing 7 125/1 Application areas with non-expert readers and novice computer users.
B. n.
A person who is not an expert.
ΚΠ
1865 N.Y. Times 7 Aug. 2/10 But whatever a judge of ass-flesh might say, a non-expert was much struck by a dappled mule.
1874 Catholic World Aug. 617/2 They are sufficiently obvious even to a non-expert.
1933 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 27 1018 The volume might well be read by many non-experts whose responsibilities presuppose an understanding of the subject.
2000 Econ. & Philos. 16 58 During the experiments on weak neutral currents in 1973, non-experts were employed after a brief training.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1855