profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfe-shən 

1

a

: a principal calling, vocation, or employment

b

: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

c

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

2

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

3

: the act of taking the vows of a religious community

4

: an avowed religious faith

see also:

oldest profession

Synonyms of profession

• declaration
• assertion
• insistence
• claim

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

Princess Moss, vice president of the National Education Association, spoke about local teachers’ struggle and conditions in the profession across the United States. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026

For the moment, news media seems more insulated than other professions from some of the threats of AI. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026

Loss of jobs, especially if whole industries or professions (including journalism) are nearly destroyed, is a legitimate concern, as is AI’s effect on our thinking skills. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

But very quickly, the 27-year-old Alabama native, whose non-reality television profession is quite literally snake wrangling, had the entire castle endeared to him. —Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Mar. 2026

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 3

Phrases Containing profession

• oldest profession
• the oldest profession
• the oldest profession in the world
• the world's oldest profession
• world's oldest profession

Rhymes for profession

• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• depression
• digression
• discretion
• expression
• impression
• obsession
• oppression

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