The Xan
My blogs
| Industry | Non-Profit |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Dilettante |
| Location | Minneapolis, MN, United States |
| Introduction | From 1700s Italy, "dilettante" originally meant "lover of the arts," but became a pejorative when professionalism took hold during the 18th century. A dilettante became a mere lover of art as opposed to one who earned a living from it. Today, the word refers to a poseur, or one pretending to be an artist. synonyms: dabbler, sciolist, dilettanteish, dilettantish, sciolistic Usage Examples “It’s better up here away from the phonies and the dilettantes. Here I can do what I want and no one comes to sneer. You’re not a sneerer, are you?” - Flowers for Algernon ‘There were no scientists in Stuart England,’ we are told, ‘and all the men we have grouped together under that heading were in their varying degrees dilettantes.’ - The Invention of Science Charles wasn’t a dilettante; he was serious about the breeding and created his own new lines of pigeons. - Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith source: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/dilettante |