amateurism

[ am-uh-choo-riz-uhm, -tyoo-, -chuh-, -tuh-, am-uh-tur-iz-uhm ]

noun

1. the practice, quality, or character of an amateur or amateurish performance.

Other Words From

• pseudo·ama·teur·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of amateurism¹

First recorded in 1865–70; amateur + -ism

Example Sentences

“When Bush was playing football at USC, all Defendants precluded Bush from receiving any financial benefits claiming that certain rules were in place and necessary to promote the NCAA’s principle of ‘amateurism’ and to preserve ‘a clear line of demarcation between intercollegiate athletics and professional sports,’” the lawsuit states.

From Los Angeles Times

He added that the party represented the "silent majority" and could have won more seats, but that "amateurism let us down".

From BBC

There was a time when Olympians weren’t allowed to receive any money, when the International Olympic Committee clung to a hidebound notion of amateurism.

From Los Angeles Times

The immediate takeaway from the landmark $2.8 billion settlement that the N.C.A.A. and the major athletic conferences accepted on Thursday was that it cut straight at the heart of the organization’s cherished model of amateurism: Schools can now pay their athletes directly.

From New York Times

The immediate takeaway from the landmark $2.8 billion settlement that the N.C.A.A. and the major athletic conferences accepted on Thursday was that it cut straight at the heart of the organization’s cherished model of amateurism: Schools can now pay their athletes directly.

From New York Times