English Explanatory Dictionary

professional

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A person who belongs to a profession.
  2. A person who earns their living from a specified activity.
  3. A prostitute.
  4. A reputation known by name.
  5. An expert.
  6. One of four categories of sociologist propounded by Horowitz: a sociologist who is actively concerned with promoting the profession of sociology.
adj
  1. Of, pertaining to, or in accordance with the (usually high) standards of a profession.
  2. That is carried out for money, especially as a livelihood.
  3. Expert.

Pronunciation

/pɹəˈfɛʃ.ə.nəl/ [pɹəˈfɛʃ.nəl] en-us-professional.ogg /pɹəˈfeʃ.ə.nəl/ [pɹəˈfeʃ.nəl] /prɵˈfɛʃ(ə)nəl/ /ˈprɵfəʃ(ə)nəl/

Word forms

professional professionals more professional most professional

Etymology

From Middle English professhennalle, professhynalle; equivalent to profession + -al.

Derived words

antiprofessional biprofessional certified safety professional extraprofessional interprofessional intraprofessional legal professional privilege monoprofessional multiprofessional non-professional nonprofessional paraprofessional preprofessional profersonal professional class professional deformation professional engineer professionalese professional foul professionalisation professionalish professionalism professionalist professionality professionalize professionally professionalness professional politician professional rescuers doctrine professional secrecy professional service professionalship professional sport professional student professional suicide professional support lawyer professional university professional victim professional wrestler professional wrestling promag promateur prosumer pseudo-professional pseudoprofessional semi-professional semiprofessional socioprofessional subprofessional super professional super-professional superprofessional transprofessional ultraprofessional uniprofessional unprofessional
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