A person who is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a particular activity, hobby, or subject; an ardent fan or devotee.
From Spanish aficionado, derived from afición 'hobby or fondness,' which comes from Latin affectio 'disposition or passion.' The word entered English in the 1700s, originally used for bullfighting enthusiasts, but later generalized to any devoted fan.
The spelling 'afficionado' is actually a super common misspelling of 'aficionado'—the double 'f' doesn't exist in Spanish, but so many English speakers add it by mistake that it's become one of the most frequent spelling errors in dictionaries, even appearing in some word lists.
Spanish '-ado' suffix encodes masculine default. The feminine 'aficionada' exists but is rarely used in English, which defaults to the masculine form even for women enthusiasts.
Use 'afficionado/aficionada' or simply 'enthusiast' or 'devotee' to remain gender-neutral in English.
["enthusiast","devotee","fan","admirer"]
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