unprofessional
Americanadjective
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not professional; not pertaining to or characteristic of a profession.
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at variance with or contrary to professional standards or ethics; not befitting members of a profession, as language, behavior, or conduct.
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not belonging to a profession; nonprofessional.
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not done with professional competence, as a play staged or an opera performed by amateurs; amateurish.
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Sports. nonprofessional.
noun
adjective
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contrary to the accepted code of conduct of a profession
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amateur
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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.
“Allow your boss to be the unprofessional one,” she says.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026
Still, nothing was as odd as Bondi’s performance, which was unprofessional and combative.
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026
The US has warned Iran against any "unsafe and unprofessional behaviour" near its forces in the area.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026
That was an extraordinary way to say: You are so unprofessional and inexperienced that I’m not even going to discipline you because you never had any business in this position in the first place.
From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026
It was unprofessional of other doctors to make such attacks.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
