profession

American  

[pruh-fesh-uhn] / prəˈfɛʃ ən /

noun

1. a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science.

   the profession of teaching.

   Synonyms:

   employment, calling

2. any vocation or business.

3. the body of persons engaged in an occupation or calling.

   to be respected by the medical profession.

4. the act of professing; avowal; a declaration, whether true or false.

   professions of dedication.

   Synonyms:

   protestation, assertion, asseveration

5. the declaration of belief in or acceptance of religion or a faith.

   the profession of Christianity.

6. a religion or faith professed.

7. the declaration made on entering into membership of a church or religious order.

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profession British  

/ prəˈfɛʃən /

noun

1. an occupation requiring special training in the liberal arts or sciences, esp one of the three learned professions, law, theology, or medicine

2. the body of people in such an occupation

3. the act of professing; avowal; declaration

4. 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

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Related Words

See occupation.

Other Word Forms

• nonprofession noun
• professionless noun

Etymology

Origin of profession

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Medieval Latin professiōn-, stem of professiō “the taking of the vows of a religious order,” from profess(us) “declared publicly” ( professed ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

He whipped it around human subjects and through vast buildings, filming shorts and commercials, which prepared him for the toughest test in his profession: keeping up with live sporting events.

From The Wall Street Journal

"They need to invest more in the profession because we are the frontline of health in this country."

From BBC

Healthcare jobs can be labor-intensive and less susceptible to automation than other skilled professions.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It could be a way to make those professions way more attractive and get the productivity back up."

From BBC

You want an illustration of the unpredictable nature of the acting profession?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• art
• business
• career
• craft
• employment
• field
• line of work
• occupation
• pursuit
• role
• situation
• specialty
• undertaking