professor
Americannoun
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a teacher of the highest academic rank in a college or university, who has been awarded the title Professor in a particular branch of learning; a full professor.
a professor of Spanish literature.
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any teacher who has the rank of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor.
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a teacher.
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an instructor in some art or skilled sport.
a professor of singing; a professor of boxing.
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a person who professes or declares particular sentiments, beliefs, etc.
noun
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the principal lecturer or teacher in a field of learning at a university or college; a holder of a university chair
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any teacher in a university or college See also associate professor assistant professor full professor
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a person who claims skill and instructs others in some sport, occupation, etc
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a person who professes his opinions, beliefs, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of professor
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Medieval Latin prōfessor “one who has taken the vows of a religious order,” Latin: “a public lecturer,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + -fet-, combining form of fatērī “to acknowledge, declare” + -tor -tor, with tt becoming ss
Explanation
A professor is someone who teaches at a college or university. Professor is officially a teacher of the highest rank, above adjuncts and lecturers, but college students can call them all professor. The Latin origin of the word means “declare publicly,” and professors are responsible for publicly sharing their knowledge with the world, or at least with whoever can afford to pay them for lessons. Although anyone teaching college can be called a professor, it’s really a title that has to be earned by going to graduate school and moving up by being an assistant professor, then associate professor, and finally a full professor.
Vocabulary lists containing professor
The Vocabulary of College
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Occupations
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Indiana Jones Vocabulary
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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.
According to ECU Associate Professor Catherine Bondonno, the protective effect associated with nitrate-rich vegetables may be related to how the body processes nitrate.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
The study was conducted through a collaboration between Professor Smith of ARU and Dr. Roshan Ravindran of KLNIK.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
"Once you understand what's happening inside the material, you can design devices to take advantage of it," Professor Qi said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
Almost a decade ago, our research group at the University of Huddersfield began a collaboration with palaeoecologist Professor John Stewart from Bournemouth University and archaeologists at the Université de Liège, Belgium.
From Science Daily • May 30, 2026
Professor Brown finished pulling the electrical sensors off my arms and legs, and I barely flinched as the sticky pads yanked out my arm and leg hair.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
