amateur:
(plural: ‘amateurs‘; the word opposite in meaning: ‘professional’)
Pronunciation: this word is pronounced in different ways, therefore, please pay attention to the way the word has been said in each of the videos you see: one on the right of this text and the other one below this text; in the first video the speaker,on the right, being American, said ‘teur’ with a ‘ch’ sound as in “church”, but in the second video, below this text, the speaker, being British, said ‘teur’ with a ‘tur’ sound as in “Turk”. And, to add to this confusion, there are two more less commonly used ways in which ‘amateur’ is pronounced. For the two different pronunciations, please click here.
a talented person, such as a painter, artist, actor, sportsperson, student of fine arts, musician, scientist, photographer, etc., who takes part in that field of activity with or without training and just for enjoyment but not for money,
an amateur boxer, Sergio Espinoza, USA
e.g.
amateurs usually show their talent in the school/college/university exhibitions or in the public shows of some non-profit or charity organisations.
Sergio Espinoza is an amateur boxer, but Mike Tyson is a professional boxer. (i.e. Sergio fights in the ring for pleasure or title but Tyson fights for the title and the prize money that comes with the title)
(an amateur photographer!!!)
Note: An amateur boxer fights in the ring only as a hobby, but a professional boxer fights and competes in the boxing matches for money; and an amateur photographer shoots some good photos and displays them in photo exhibitions merely out of interest and for the satisfaction he/she gets having that hobby, but a professional photographer shoots photos and sells them. However, an amateur may become a professional when he/she gets some recognition.
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