Amateur
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 224269707 by [[Special:Contributions/155.31.69.190|155.31.69.190]] ([[User talk:155.31.69.190|talk]])
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2007}}
{{For|the 1994 film|Amateur (film)}}
{{Wiktionarypar|amateur}}
An '''amateur''' is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without formal training or pay.<ref>[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/amateur Wiktionary: Amateur]</ref> Conversely, an [[expert]] is generally considered a person with extensive [[knowledge]], [[Aptitude|ability]], and/or training in a particular area of study, while a ''[[professional]]'' is someone who also makes a living from it. Translated from its [[French language|French]] origin to the English "''lover of''", the term "''amateur''" reflects a voluntary motivation to work as a result of personal [[passion]] for a particular activity.
As with any construct, amateurism can be seen in both a negative and positive light. Since amateurs often do not have training, amateur work can sometimes be seen as sub-par. For example, amateur [[Sportsperson|athletes]] in sports such as [[basketball]] or [[Football games|football]] are not regarded as having the same level of ability as professional athletes.
Alternatively, the lack of financial recompense can also be seen as a sign of [[commitment]] to an activity. For instance, until the 1970s most Olympic events required that the athletes be amateurs. Receiving payment to participate in an event disqualified an athlete from that event, as in the case of [[Jim Thorpe]]. In the olympic games, this rule remains in place for [[boxing]] and for men's [[Association football|football]] events.
Amateurs make valuable contributions in the fields of [[computer programming]] through the [[open source]] movement. [[Amateur Dramatics]] is the performance of either [[Play (theatre)|plays]] or [[musical theater]], often to high standards but lacking the budgets of the professional [[West End theatre|West End]] or [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] performances. [[Astronomy]] and [[ornithology]] have also benefited from the activity of amateurs.
Pursuing amateur activities to the same standards as professionals is sometimes referred to as ''professional amateurism''.
An example of the word amateur used in a sentence would be, "Max is an amateur because he is an unskilled worker."
== See also ==
* [[Volunteer]]
* [[Hobby]]
* [[Amateur astronomy]]
* [[Amateur radio]]
* [[Amateur sports]]
* [[Corinthian (disambiguation)]]
* [[Home movies]]
* [[Bush League]]
* [[Mark Korpics]]
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
== External Links ==
[http://jordan.hoek.googlepages.com/what%27sanamateur%3F What's an Amateur?]
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