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
- unprofessionalism noun
- unprofessionally adverb
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.
Dempsey, 27, told the parent in an email that their child was "not the only one to have issues" with a colleague, which the panel said was "inappropriate and unprofessional".
From BBC
The author of the report, Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook, declined to endorse the final version because of changes that altered his findings and made the report “highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our established standards.”
From Los Angeles Times
In a written statement, Battye admitted making unprofessional comments "several times" and apologised for any upset he may have caused.
From BBC
“It’d be unprofessional to comment on what I think happened in that situation. Let the investigation play out, and hold people accountable,” he said.
The Times also reported that author of the report declined to endorse it because of substantial deletions that altered his findings, calling the edited version “highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our established standards.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
