aficionado

fan

noun adjective ah-fee-syoh-NAH-doh Less Common

Origin: From aficionar (to develop a liking for) + -ado.

Also means

amateur, enthusiast

Usage Note

Aficionado entered English directly from Spanish, where it means a devoted fan or amateur (un aficionado al fútbol, 'a football fan'). As an adjective it means 'keen on' (soy muy aficionado al jazz). The feminine is aficionada. Unlike the English borrowing (which often implies expert-level enthusiasm), the Spanish word covers casual fans too.

Examples

"Es un aficionado del teatro clásico."

Natural Translation

He is a fan of classical theatre.

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