professional
following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain: a professional builder.
of, relating to, or connected with a profession: professional studies.
appropriate to a profession: professional objectivity.
engaged in one of the learned professions: A lawyer is a professional person.
following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime: a professional golfer.
making a business or constant practice of something not properly to be regarded as a business: “A salesman,” he said, “is a professional optimist.”
undertaken or engaged in as a means of livelihood or for gain: professional baseball.
of or for a professional person or their place of business or work: a professional apartment; professional equipment.
done by an expert: professional car repairs.
a person who belongs to one of the professions, especially one of the learned professions.
a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs: a golf professional.
an expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher, consultant, performer, or contestant; pro.
a person who is expert at some kind of work: You can tell by her comments that this editor is a real professional.
Origin of professional
1Other words from professional
- pro·fes·sion·al·ly, adverb
- in·ter·pro·fes·sion·al, adjective
- pseu·do·pro·fes·sion·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use professional in a sentence
A pass-through is a corporate structure — anything from a solo graphic design operation to a large professional sports team — that doesn’t pay taxes itself.
Georgia Senator David Perdue Privately Pushed for a Tax Break for Rich Sports Teamowners | by Robert Faturechi and Justin Elliott | November 20, 2020 | ProPublicaBy all accounts, he’s a good teammate and as professional as they come, but the center turned out to be a horrendous fit alongside Joel Embiid in his one year with him.
The Upsides And Downsides Of The NBA’s Five Biggest Trades So Far | Chris Herring (chris.herring@fivethirtyeight.com) | November 19, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightMost people from the delta don’t have the professional skills or the resources to find well-paying jobs.
This program provides those startups access to our software and professional solutions that the industry is using in their day-to-day activities.
Leveraging collective intelligence and AI to benefit society | Jason Sparapani | November 18, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewBeing professional when you don’t have to be goes a long way in this business.
His ups and downs professionally outside of the World Cup are a vital a part of his story in the book.
Indeed, Malone seems to be in a very good place—both personally, and professionally.
Jena Malone’s Long, Strange Trip From Homelessness to Hollywood Stardom | Marlow Stern | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe talks and other resources we create will be edited, professionally produced, and shared online around the world.
Deen is not only punctual, but also professionally courteous to his former co-stars.
My Bizarre Night With James Deen, Libertarian Porn Star | Emily Shire | November 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe is aware that both personally and professionally, she has been fortunate.
Cameroonian Women Fighting Sexism With Tourism | Abena Agyeman-Fisher | November 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn addition, Doctor Kraus, the poison was administered most carefully and professionally with a hypodermic needle.
"Always glad to serve you—professionally," murmured the Doctor with an undeniably definite accent on the word 'professionally'.
Molly Make-Believe | Eleanor Hallowell Abbott"Better light it up first," said the Tennessee Shad professionally.
The Varmint | Owen JohnsonRalegh's relations to the Howards, though always professionally intimate, were not always very friendly, either now or hereafter.
Sir Walter Ralegh | William Stebbing“He interests me professionally very much indeed,” Harcutt answered.
Mysterious Mr. Sabin | E. Phillips Oppenheim
British Dictionary definitions for professional
/ (prəˈfɛʃənəl) /
of, relating to, suitable for, or engaged in as a profession
engaging in an activity for gain or as a means of livelihood
extremely competent in a job, etc
(of a piece of work or anything performed) produced with competence or skill
undertaken or performed for gain or by people who are paid
a person who belongs to or engages in one of the professions
a person who engages for his livelihood in some activity also pursued by amateurs
a person who engages in an activity with great competence
an expert player of a game who gives instruction, esp to members of a club by whom he is hired
Derived forms of professional
- professionally, adverb
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
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