Definition of "dilettante" [dil•et•tan•te]

• A dabbler in an art or a field of knowledge. See Synonyms at amateur. (noun)
• A lover of the fine arts; a connoisseur. (noun)
• Superficial; amateurish. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The real generalist is sometimes known as a dilettante and needs an independent income."
• "‘No, the word dilettante did not accord with that face, the expression of that face, those eyes ....’"
• "The word dilettante derives from the Italian dilettare, meaning to delight in."