dilettante
/ˌdɪlɪˈtanteɪ
/ /ˌdɪlɪˈtanti/noun (plural dilettanti /ˌdɪlɪˈtanti/ or dilettantes)
1A person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.The question that we should all be asking ourselves is: who are the real dilettantes?...
- Far from playing the dilettante, the author shares his in-depth knowledge of the area's religion, history and politics with the reader.
- The sleuth bridges a number of formats and styles while always emphasising ingenuity, deduction and a dilettante's approach to crime-solving.
Synonyms
dabbler, potterer, tinkerer, trifler, dallier;
amateur, non-professional, non-specialist, layman, layperson
1.1 archaic A person with an amateur interest in the arts.He wanted approval for his work, for the work's sake; he wasn't an amateur or a dilettante....
- The opening brings out the full array of Calgary's artists, art-watchers, debutantes, dilettantes, party kids and general public, and generates a portion of the revenue that keeps this non-profit festival operating.
Derivatives
dilettantish
/ adjective ...- The stigma attached to student films is that they are amateurish, dilettantish and excusable on the grounds that they're made by non-professionals.
- He won't be quite as dilettantish about it and will be focused on that.
- Her activism was derided as ideologically dilettantish from an actress encased within the Hollywood system and vainly seeking authenticity through scattergun sloganeering.
dilettantism
/ noun ...- Pop-star activism is commonly derided as egotism and/or dilettantism.
- The two share a certain dilettantism; a belief that the job is somehow their birthright and that they don't really have to fight for it.
- The logic employed in the piece is precisely the sort of weekend-warrior dilettantism you'd expect.
Origin
Mid 18th century: from Italian, 'person loving the arts', from dilettare 'to delight', from Latin delectare.