Amateur
easyAM-uh-chur
noun
Definition
A person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than professionally; lacking expertise
Examples
“The tournament was open to both amateurs and professionals.”
“His amateur approach to investing cost him dearly.”
Categories
GRE Tip
Amateur is a easy-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "novice" or "neophyte" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "expert".
Related GRE Words
fledgling
A young bird just fledged; a person or organization that is new and inexperienced
greenhorn
An inexperienced or naive person
novice
A person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation
neophyte
A person who is new to a subject or activity; a beginner
tyro
A beginner or novice
uninitiated
Without special knowledge or experience
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