unprofessional
Americanadjective
-
not professional; not pertaining to or characteristic of a profession.
-
at variance with or contrary to professional standards or ethics; not befitting members of a profession, as language, behavior, or conduct.
-
not belonging to a profession; nonprofessional.
-
not done with professional competence, as a play staged or an opera performed by amateurs; amateurish.
-
Sports. nonprofessional.
noun
adjective
-
contrary to the accepted code of conduct of a profession
-
amateur
-
not belonging to or having the required qualifications for a profession
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unprofessional
First recorded in 1800–10; un- 1 + professional
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.
I found it unprofessional and, as politely as I could, told him so.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“In my unprofessional opinion, a large company which is organized as a hierarchy needs to have one person at the top. Confusion and infighting too often are the results of co-bosses.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
“People are expecting a really small, dinky, unprofessional show, and they get comedy gold,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
"A lot of my books have medical stuff in them, and I don't want people saying, 'Is this based on me?' It feels unprofessional."
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
I didn’t know what to make of his gesture save its unorthodoxy, its colloquial and unprofessional tone.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
