definitions

profession

[ pruh-fesh-uhn ]
/ prəˈfɛʃ ən /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR profession ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

RELATED CONTENT

GNewsRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Does Grammar Matter In The Workplace?Certain employers say it’s important to them that their workers exhibit good grammar. But, is bad grammar a valid reason to bar someone from a job? In the Harvard Business Review, Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit and founder of Dozuki, wrote an article called “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar.” In the article, Wiens argues that it is important to take into account …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

art, business, career, undertaking, specialty, field, craft, pursuit, situation, role, employment, occupation, dodge, slot, berth, engagement, handicraft, service, office, sphere

Nearby words

profer, profert, profess, professed, professedly, profession, professional, professional association, professional corporation, professional foul, professional standards review organization

Origin of profession

1175–1225; Middle English < Medieval Latin professiōn- (stem of professiō) the taking of the vows of a religious order. See professed, -ion
Related formspro·fes·sion·less, nounnon·pro·fes·sion, noun

Synonym study

1. See occupation.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for profession

British Dictionary definitions for profession

profession

/ (prəˈfɛʃən) /

noun

an occupation requiring special training in the liberal arts or sciences, esp one of the three learned professions, law, theology, or medicine
the body of people in such an occupation
the act of professing; avowal; declaration
  1. Also called: profession of faith a declaration of faith in a religion, esp as made on entering the Church of that religion or an order belonging to it
  2. the faith or the religion that is the subject of such a declaration

Word Origin for profession

C13: from Medieval Latin professiō the taking of vows upon entering a religious order, from Latin: public acknowledgment; see profess
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

Word Origin and History for profession

profession

n.

c.1200, "vows taken upon entering a religious order," from Old French profession (12c.), from Latin professionem (nominative professio) "public declaration," from past participle stem of profiteri "declare openly" (see profess). Meaning "any solemn declaration" is from mid-14c. Meaning "occupation one professes to be skilled in" is from early 15c.; meaning "body of persons engaged in some occupation" is from 1610; as a euphemism for "prostitution" (e.g. oldest profession) it is recorded from 1888.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper