A person who engages in a pursuit or activity only casually or for amusement, not as a serious profession or commitment.
From Italian 'dilettante,' which comes from the present participle of 'dilettare' meaning 'to delight.' It originally described wealthy amateurs who engaged in arts for pleasure rather than profit, evolving from Latin roots.
The word 'dilettante' was born during the Renaissance when wealthy Europeans could actually afford to be amateurs—they had so much money they could study painting or music purely for joy, which today seems like an impossible luxury.
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