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professor

[ pruh-fes-er ]
/ prəˈfɛs ər /
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See synonyms for: professor / professors on Thesaurus.com

noun
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.
any teacher who has the rank of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor.
a teacher.
an instructor in some art or skilled sport: a professor of singing; a professor of boxing.
a person who professes or declares particular sentiments, beliefs, etc.
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Origin of professor

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

OTHER WORDS FROM professor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use professor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for professor

professor
/ (prəˈfɛsə) /

noun
the principal lecturer or teacher in a field of learning at a university or college; a holder of a university chair
mainly US and Canadian any teacher in a university or collegeSee also associate professor, assistant professor, full professor
a person who claims skill and instructs others in some sport, occupation, etc
a person who professes his opinions, beliefs, etc

Derived forms of professor

professorial (ˌprɒfɪˈsɔːrɪəl), adjectiveprofessorially, adverb

Word Origin for professor

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