amateurism

IPA/ˈæmətərɪzəm/
KK[ˈæmətʃˌɚɪzəm]IPA/ˈæmətərɪzəm/

amateurism — noun

1. a set of beliefs or rules stating that people should do a sport or hobby because

1.nounB2
Definition

a set of beliefs or rules stating that people should do a sport or hobby because they enjoy it, not because they are paid for it

Example

Strict rules of amateurism meant Wei could not accept prize money for winning the race.

amateurism + rules of; negative: cannot accept money

Many Olympic events originally followed the principle of amateurism, so only unpaid athletes could compete.

principle of amateurism + unpaid athletes

Common collocations
  • rules of amateurism
  • spirit of amateurism
  • principle of amateurism
  • tradition of amateurism
  • amateurism in sports
Synonyms
  • nonprofessionalism

    a more formal or technical synonym, used especially in sports or arts regulations

  • amateur status

    a noun phrase referring to the condition of being an amateur, rather than the general principle

Antonyms
  • professionalism

    the system where people are paid for their work in a sport or activity

Grammar Patterns

amateurism + of + noun phrase

spirit / principle / tradition + of + amateurism

Usage Note

Often appears with nouns like 'spirit', 'tradition', 'principle', or 'rules' to describe the set of beliefs that keep an activity non-commercial.

Common Mistakes

Amateurism means you are not good at sports.
Amateurism means you do sports for fun, not for payment.
The first confuses 'amateurism' with 'being amateurish' (lacking skill); they are different concepts.

2. a quality of being done with very little skill or care, as if the person doing i

2.nounC1
Definition

a quality of being done with very little skill or care, as if the person doing it has not had enough training

Example

The reviewer criticised the film's amateurism, pointing to the shaky camera work and awkward acting.

criticised + film's amateurism

Fatima noticed the amateurism in the report: wrong numbers and poor spelling.

Common collocations
  • amateurism of + noun
  • sb's amateurism
  • apparent amateurism
  • criticise the amateurism
Synonyms
  • ineptness

    stronger and more negative; implies total unfitness for the task

  • unprofessionalism

    focuses on failure to meet expected standards of conduct or quality

Antonyms
  • skill

    the opposite quality — doing something well and expertly

  • craftsmanship

    high-quality, careful work that shows training and pride

Grammar Patterns

amateurism + of + noun / gerund

sb's + amateurism

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about amateur status (not paid); sense 2 is a criticism of poor quality. Sense 2 typically appears with a possessive ('the film's amateurism', 'his amateurism').

Common Mistakes

His amateurism in photography means he only takes pictures for fun.
His love of photography as a hobby shows his amateurism in the best sense.
When the meaning is 'not paid', it is better to make the context clear to avoid the negative 'lack of skill' reading.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

"Amateurism" and "nonprofessionalism" both describe the practice of doing something without pay, but "amateurism" carries a warmer tone in English — it suggests a noble commitment to sport or art for their own sake, whereas "nonprofessionalism" sounds more clinical and legal. "Amateur status" is a narrower phrase used on official forms or competition rules to say that a person has not yet become a professional. "Volunteerism" overlaps in the "unpaid, for the love of it" space, but volunteerism is specifically about helping others or serving a community cause rather than personal enjoyment of the activity itself. For example: 'The International Olympic Committee once demanded strict amateurism from all competitors.' Here, "nonprofessionalism" would sound odd because the sentence is about an ideal, not a regulation.

amateurism ↗nonprofessionalismamateur statusvolunteerism

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • spirit of amateurism
  • principle of amateurism
  • tradition of amateurism

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from 'amateur', which entered English in the late 1700s from French, where it meant 'lover' (from Latin 'amator' meaning 'a lover'). The '-ism' suffix (from Greek '-ismos') turns the idea into a system or belief. So amateurism literally suggests 'the belief that one should do something because one loves it, not for money'.