hobbyist

[ hob-ee-ist ]

noun

1. a person who engages in a hobby, an interest or activity pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as one’s main occupation:

   The state’s 500 beekeepers range from hobbyists to mom-and-pop businesses to large commercial operations.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hobbyist¹

hobby ¹( def ) + -ist ( def )

Example Sentences

Some of the restorers are professionals, but many more appear to be hobbyists, in it for the challenge, the fun and the satisfaction.

From Los Angeles Times

Bird flu outbreaks — those involving commercial poultry facilities or backyard poultry and hobbyist bird flocks — in California have been reported in just one county in Southern California: San Diego County.

From Los Angeles Times

With a rare star explosion expected any day now, astrophysicists are relying on a community of hobbyists with backyard telescopes to tell them when it erupts.

From Los Angeles Times

That means that hobbyists have to rely on their own judgment — and ethics — when conducting business online.

From Los Angeles Times

He was operating one of the drones, made by the Chinese company DJI, which dominates sales to law enforcement agencies as well as the hobbyist market in the United States.

From New York Times

Related Words

• connoisseur