profession
Americannoun
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professions
plural
-
a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science.
the profession of teaching.
- Synonyms:
- employment, calling
-
any vocation or business.
-
the body of persons engaged in an occupation or calling.
to be respected by the medical profession.
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the act of professing; avowal; a declaration, whether true or false.
professions of dedication.
- Synonyms:
- protestation, assertion, asseveration
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the declaration of belief in or acceptance of religion or a faith.
the profession of Christianity.
-
a religion or faith professed.
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the declaration made on entering into membership of a church or religious order.
noun
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an occupation requiring special training in the liberal arts or sciences, esp one of the three learned professions, law, theology, or medicine
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the body of people in such an occupation
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the act of professing; avowal; declaration
-
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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
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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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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!
Vocabulary lists containing profession
Can I Work It? Words for "Job"
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"The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury
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"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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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.
See Examples For:
But an impromptu audition with material from “Othello” suddenly swerved him into the acting profession — where he has done quite well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Pearl diving has all but disappeared, particularly after the mass production of cultured pearls on farms after World War I. In Gulf countries, the extinction of this profession converges with a familiar story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Both achieved something many college students aspire to: Erle graduated debt-free, and Lee left school with a job that kickstarted his profession.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Over the next few years, he made seven lengthy trips, often linked to his full-time profession as an environmental photographer.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Lucky for me there's loyalty in our profession.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
It’s interesting to look back prior to 1960, 1950, and just see the professions and the things that justices did prior to being on the court.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Villarreal: Not to compare the two professions, but does it make you see the work you do as an actor a form of public service?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Since the rule change, non-graduate professions, such as shop managers, are no longer eligible to apply.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Different professions seem to have different proportions of beard-wearing members.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
These were the fields that brought them to America, his father repeatedly reminds him, the professions that have earned them security and respect.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
