Professional Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms professional American [pruh-fesh-uh-nl] / prəˈfɛʃ ə nl /

adjective

1. following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain.

   a professional builder.

2. of, relating to, or connected with a profession.

   professional studies.

3. appropriate to a profession.

   professional objectivity.

4. engaged in one of the learned professions.

   A lawyer is a professional person.

5. following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime.

   a professional golfer.

6. making a business or constant practice of something not properly to be regarded as a business.

   “A salesman,” he said, “is a professional optimist.”

7. undertaken or engaged in as a means of livelihood or for gain.

   professional baseball.

8. of or for a professional person or their place of business or work.

   a professional apartment; professional equipment.

9. done by an expert.

   professional car repairs.

noun

1. a person who belongs to one of the professions, especially one of the learned professions.

2. a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs.

   a golf professional.

3. an expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher, consultant, performer, or contestant; pro.

4. a person who is expert at some kind of work.

   You can tell by her comments that this editor is a real professional.

professional British / prəˈfɛʃənəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, suitable for, or engaged in as a profession

2. engaging in an activity for gain or as a means of livelihood

3. 1. extremely competent in a job, etc

   2. (of a piece of work or anything performed) produced with competence or skill

4. undertaken or performed for gain or by people who are paid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. a person who belongs to or engages in one of the professions

2. a person who engages for his livelihood in some activity also pursued by amateurs

3. a person who engages in an activity with great competence

4. an expert player of a game who gives instruction, esp to members of a club by whom he is hired

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• interprofessional adjective
• professionally adverb
• pseudoprofessional adjective

Etymology

Origin of professional

First recorded in 1740–50; profession + -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Conroy also spent seven years with the Royal Artillery as a soldier before becoming a professional photographer and was a trustee of the Frontline Club for media professionals, diplomats and aid workers.

From BBC

"I congratulate our armed forces on their professional and decisive conduct during tonight's successful operation, and thank our French partners for providing essential support," Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever wrote on social media.

From Barron's

Thomas Kerr, an accountant in Cleveland, said he has told friends and professional acquaintances that they should prepare for white-collar jobs to go away, and to find a sense of meaning in potentially new occupations.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a professional staff member of Congress, I was present at the creation.

From Salon

By contrast, the American Economic Association, the primary professional association for economists, did take swift and harsh action.

From Salon

Related Words

• competent
• efficient
• experienced
• licensed
• qualified
• skillful

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.