professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfe-sər 

1

: one that professes, avows, or declares

2

a

: a faculty member of the highest academic rank at an institution of higher education

b

: a teacher at a university, college, or sometimes secondary school

c

: one that teaches or professes special knowledge of an art, sport, or occupation requiring skill

professorship

prə-ˈfe-sər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of professor in a Sentence

Professor Williams will be teaching the class.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noam Leshem, the Durham University professor, says Jackson’s claim to the territory is ultimately unlikely to succeed, especially in the face of Croatian police deployments. —Richard Collett, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025

One parent wanted to email their child’s professors before the semester began to introduce themselves and open a line of communication. —Rachel Hale, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025

Flay is a graduate of the University of Southern California and has served as an adjunct professor there. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025

Loyola University Chicago School of Law professor Spencer Weber Waller said the judge's ruling was a significant setback for Google. —USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing professor

• assistant professor
• associate professor
• regius professor

Rhymes for professor

• aggressor
• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• repressor
• successor

Kids Definition

professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfes-ər 

: a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university

professorial

ˌprō-fə-ˈsōr-ē-əl 

ˌpräf-ə-

-ˈsȯr-

adjective

professorially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb