inexpert

Inexpert is an English adjective meaning lacking expertise or skill in a particular area. It can also function as a noun referring to a person who is not an expert. The term is relatively rare in everyday speech and is most often found in formal, literary, or evaluative contexts.

The word suggests a deficiency in a specific domain rather than a general lack of knowledge, and it can carry a mild pejorative nuance without the strong insult implied by terms like incompetent or unqualified. It is typically used to describe performance or judgment in relation to a task or field rather than to describe a person’s overall character.

Etymology and forms: Inexpert is formed from the negating prefix in- attached to expert, with expert originating from Latin through Old French. The related adverb is inexpertly, and a rarely used noun form is inexpertise, referring to the quality of lacking expertise.

Usage notes: Because inexpert is uncommon in modern casual speech, it is often replaced by more common equivalents such as inexperienced, unskilled, unqualified, or novice. When used, it tends to appear in evaluative or descriptive writing, including critiques, reports, or careful characterizations of competence in a specific area.

See also: inexperienced, unskilled, unqualified, amateur, novice, layperson.