Dilettanist

/ˌdɪləˈtɑːnɪst/ noun

Definition

A person who practices or advocates dilettantism; someone who engages in activities as a casual hobbyist rather than a serious practitioner.

Etymology

Formed from dilettante plus the suffix -ist (meaning 'one who practices'). This construction parallels other -ist formations and emerged in English during the 18th-19th centuries when critiques of superficial learning became popular.

Kelly Says

During the Enlightenment, calling someone a 'dilettantist' was basically an intellectual insult—it meant you dabbled without depth! The suffix -ist literally made the casual hobbyist into a 'type of person.'

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