Dilettante
/ˌdɪl.əˈtænt/noun
A person who has a casual or superficial interest in an art or field.
Did you know?Dilettante comes from Italian dilettante, originally meaning “one who delights,” from the same Latin root that gave us delight and delectable—so its modern insult began as a word of love.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
delectāre
“to delight, please, charm”
Late Latin
Latin
dēlectāre
“to take pleasure in”
Italian
Italian
dilettante
“one who takes delight in something; an amateur enthusiast”
17th Century
English
dilettante
“a lover of art or literature, especially as an amateur”
18th-19th Century
English
dilettante
“a superficial or self-indulgent amateur”
Explore more surprising origins