connoisseur

[ kon-uh-sur, -soor ]

noun

1. a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste:

   a connoisseur of modern art.

2. a discerning judge of the best in any field:

   a connoisseur of horses.

connoisseur

/ ˌkɒnɪˈsɜː /

noun

1. a person with special knowledge or appreciation of a field, esp in the arts

Derived Forms

• ˌconnoisˈseurship, noun

Other Words From

• con·nois·seur·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of connoisseur¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from French; Old French conoiseor, from Latin cognōscitōr- (stem of cognōscitor ) “knower”; cognoscible, -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of connoisseur¹

C18: from French, from Old French conoiseor, from connoistre to know, from Latin cognōscere

Example Sentences

Heritage Caviar Bar—For the caviar connoisseur and newbie, Heritage Carrier Bar is a must when in Chicago.

From Salon

The difference from one phone to the next is mostly for connoisseurs to parse.

From New York Times

A connoisseur of fine sitcoms, the show’s creator and star knows how to play with the genre’s tropes to create something fresh.

From Los Angeles Times

It was the kind of riveting moment that Mr. Trump, a TV connoisseur himself, might have appreciated if he were not its subject.

From New York Times

He added that the novel was expected to land in the hands of a private collector as it was a "real connoisseurs book".

From BBC

Related Words

• aficionado
• buff
• devotee
• dilettante