Unmasterly

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Definitions

1. Showing a lack of the expert skill or control that a master would display in a craft or art
2. Describing work or performance that falls short of the polish and mastery expected of a skilled expert
3. Done without the authority, command or finesse characteristic of someone who has truly mastered a subject

Etymology: Unmasterly is a plain formation: the prefix "un-" ("not") attached to "masterly," which itself is "master" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ly." An adjective built from "master" in the sense of an expert craftsman or skilled hand dates to the 1500s, so "masterly" meant "like a master" in the sense of showing expert skill. "Unmasterly" follows the same pattern, meaning lacking that skill, and it is attested much later than its base, mostly in 19th-century writing.

Synonyms: amateurish, inept, clumsy

Antonyms: masterly, skillful