profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfe-shən 

1

: the act of taking the vows of a religious community

2

: an act of openly declaring or publicly claiming a belief, faith, or opinion : protestation

3

: an avowed religious faith

4

a

: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation

b

: a principal calling, vocation, or employment

c

: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

Synonyms

• affirmation
• assertion
• asseveration
• avouchment
• avowal
• claim
• declaration
• insistence
• protestation

Examples of profession in a Sentence

The doctor talked to students who are thinking about entering the profession.

Most professions in the medical field require years of training.

Their daughter recently became a member of the medical profession.

Recent Examples on the Web

My profession and my newspaper, proudly committed to separating facts from fabrication, are at a crossroads of sustainability. —John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024

Three former British Supreme Court justices and more than 600 members of the British legal profession called for their government to halt arms sales to Israel as the global outcry over humanitarian concerns in Gaza continues to grow. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 300,000 public school teachers left the profession between February 2020 and May 2022. —Kristina Behr, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024

The American Dental Association, which represents about 160,000 dentists nationwide and establishes guidelines for the profession, declined an interview request. —Anna Werner, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

Edwards has mentored others entering the industry, and showing the profession as a career for women. —Dylan Sherman, arkansasonline.com, 3 Apr. 2024

The British conductor Daniel Harding, in what seems a meta-commentary on the profession, has become a commercial pilot for Air France, capable of flying himself from one gig to another. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024

Suits are a first impression that speaks to the level of seriousness that someone associates with their profession. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024

Struggling to make ends meet, many Americans have turned sour on the workforce and reported a loss in faith in almost every profession in the most recent Gallup Honesty and Ethics poll. —Chloe Berger, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English professioun, from Anglo-French profession, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin profession-, professio, from Latin, public declaration, from profitēri

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing profession

• the (world's) oldest profession

Kids Definition

profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfesh-ən 

1

: the act of taking the vows of a religious community

2

: a public declaring or claiming (as of a belief, faith, or opinion)

3

a

: an occupation (as medicine, law, or teaching) that requires specialized knowledge and often advanced education

b

: a principal occupation or employment

c

: the people working in a profession

the legal profession

Medical Definition

profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfesh-ən 

1

: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation

2

: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling