professor

[ pruh-fes-er ]

noun

1. a teacher of the highest academic rank in a college or university, who has been awarded the title Professor in a particular branch of learning; a full professor:

   a professor of Spanish literature.

2. any teacher who has the rank of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor.
3. a teacher.
4. an instructor in some art or skilled sport:

   a professor of singing; a professor of boxing.

5. a person who professes or declares particular sentiments, beliefs, etc.

professor

/ ˌprɒfɪˈsɔːrɪəl; prəˈfɛsə /

noun

1. the principal lecturer or teacher in a field of learning at a university or college; a holder of a university chair
2. See full professor, assistant professor, associate professor
   any teacher in a university or college See also associate professor assistant professor full professor
3. a person who claims skill and instructs others in some sport, occupation, etc
4. a person who professes his opinions, beliefs, etc

Derived Forms

• professorial, adjective
• ˌprofesˈsorially, adverb

Other Words From

• pro·fes·so·ri·al [proh-f, uh, -, sawr, -ee-, uh, l, -, sohr, -, prof-, uh, -], adjective
• profes·sori·al·ism noun
• profes·sori·al·ly adverb
• nonpro·fes·sori·al adjective
• nonpro·fes·sori·al·ly adverb
• pseudo·profes·sori·al adjective
• subpro·fessor noun
• unpro·fes·sori·al adjective
• unpro·fes·sori·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of professor¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Medieval Latin prōfessor “one who has taken the vows of a religious order,” Latin: “a public lecturer,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + -fet-, combining form of fatērī “to acknowledge, declare” + -tor -tor, with tt becoming ss

Word History and Origins

Origin of professor¹

C14: from Medieval Latin: one who has made his profession in a religious order, from Latin: a public teacher; see profess

Example Sentences

So says Xu Yuan, a professor of finance at Peking University.

From Quartz

Diana Avila, global head of banking and expansion, TransferWiseA book that had a big impact on me was The Monk and the Riddle, written by Randy Komisar, a professor of mine at Stanford.

From Fortune

The University of North Carolina sociologist and professor has been consistently prescient.

From Ozy

Cathy Cohen is a professor at the University of Chicago where she directs the GenForward Survey, a nationally representative survey of over 3,000 young adults ages 18–36.

From Fortune

Michelle Danyluk, a professor of food science at the University of Florida, says it’s “all about perception.”

From Eater

Professor Penelope Leach told The Daily Beast it was ludicrous to monitor young children in that way.

From The Daily Beast

Shakespeare,” said Professor Watson, “wrote a story for each of us and in them we can hear what we want.

From The Daily Beast

A former superintendent of Milwaukee schools, he is now a Distinguished Professor of Education at Marquette University.

From The Daily Beast

A Harvard-educated poet and professor, Linsker was arrested early Sunday morning and released without bail later that day.

From The Daily Beast

Terry Castle has this great book called The Professor, which came out after I was in grad school.

From The Daily Beast

More soldiers crowded into the cave and Professor-Commander Krafft came in behind them.

From Project Gutenberg

John Alphonsus Turretini died; professor of ecclesiastical history at Geneva, distinguished for his learning.

From Project Gutenberg

Dr. Adam Weishaupt, professor of canon law at Ingolstadt, founded the secret society of the illuminati.

From Project Gutenberg

Then my luck changed and I found myself under one of the very greatest teachers of his time, Professor Huxley.

From Project Gutenberg

Philip Limborch died; a Dutch professor of divinity, and author of a history of the inquisition.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• assistant
• educator
• faculty member
• fellow
• instructor
• lecturer
• principal
• teacher
• tutor