nonprofessional

American  

[non-pruh-fesh-uh-nl] / ˌnɒn prəˈfɛʃ ə nl /

adjective

1. not a member of or trained in a specific profession.

2. Sports. not offering or engaged in for payment or a monetary prize; amateur.

   a nonprofessional league; a nonprofessional player.

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noun

1. a person who is not a professional.

2. an amateur athlete.

nonprofessional British  

/ ˌnɒnprəˈfɛʃənəl /

adjective

1. not of, relating to, suitable for, or engaged in a profession

2. not undertaken or performed for gain or by people who are paid

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Other Word Forms

• nonprofessionalism noun

Etymology

Origin of nonprofessional

First recorded in 1795–1805; non- + professional

Example Sentences

For most nonprofessional investors, the history of broad declines in the stock market has shown that it has been best to be patient, because attempts to time the market are likely to fail.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

That would whack stocks, as nonprofessional investors have reliably bought every dip because they have been conditioned to believe stocks always rise.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Some companies already use AI to co-write financial reports, and the Education Department recently reclassified accounting degrees as nonprofessional.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

As he did for his award-winning prison film, “Michael Inside,” Berry used nonprofessional actors with intimate experience of the system — here, Ireland’s International Protection Office, which processes asylum applications — he wanted to depict.

From New York Times • May 9, 2024

The subject must have a history of heroism in a nonprofessional capacity.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman