profession

American  

[pruh-fesh-uhn] / prəˈfɛʃ ən /

noun

professions plural

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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Synonym Usage

See occupation.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprofession
  noun
• professionless
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• professions
  plural

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” ( see professed) + -iō -ion

Explanation

An open declaration of an opinion or belief is a profession. If you announce that you believe the earth is flat, your profession of this opinion might cause some giggling among your well-educated friends. Careers that require specialized training or advanced degrees are considered professions. Your parents may want you to go into a profession like the practice of law, but you dream of being a rodeo clown. The collective group of people practicing a profession is also called profession. The medical profession doesn't know what to make of that thing growing out of your foot. You are a medical mystery!

Example Sentences

It pains me to pull the props out from under the 'profession' and leave the drama flat, but matrimony was a successful institution before the Circuit Theater was built, and a husband has rights.

From The Auction Block by Beach, Rex Ellingwood

I have laughed at him until he is shy about mentioning his 'profession' to me.

From Old Valentines A Love Story by Havens, Munson Aldrich

The very term 'profession' may be traced to the cloister.

From The Quarterly Review, Volume 162, No. 324, April, 1886 by Various

Avocation, vocation.—"Vocation means 'calling' or 'profession'; avocation, 'something aside from one's regular calling, a by-work.'"

From Practical Exercises in English by Buehler, Huber Gray

Curses, tears, despair, those were all to be expected in his 'profession'; but this extraordinary man was neither beseeching him for money nor swearing at him in anger.

From A Book of Quaker Saints by Hodgkin, L. V. (Lucy Violet)

Related Words

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