profession

pro·fes·sion | \ prə-ˈfe-shən

How to pronounce profession (audio)

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Definition of profession

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

4a : 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 & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about profession

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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 But while pundits have unleashed on the profession, the campaigns have seized on available figures, politicizing them to suit them best. — Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner, "Georgia Senate polling accuracy questionable but candidates still cite it for fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts," 3 Jan. 2021 The heated national debate about how and whether to bring students back to classrooms plays upon all the anxieties of the teaching profession. — Eliza Shapiro, BostonGlobe.com, "Fear and anger as teachers feel pressure to return to class," 11 July 2020 What's more, a generation of older cops who joined the profession during hiring sprees in the 1990s are ready to retire. — Majlie De Puy Kamp, CNN, "The year of reckoning: How 2020 revealed the fault lines in American policing," 18 Dec. 2020 Coccidioidomycosis is common enough among firefighters that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the profession at-risk for the fungal infection. — Matt Simon, Wired, "Wildfire Smoke Is Loaded With Microbes. Is That Dangerous?," 17 Dec. 2020 This swashbuckling literary style subconsciously shapes—and limits—the profession’s conception of quality criticism. — Theodore Gioia, The New Republic, "Death to the Negative Restaurant Review," 16 Dec. 2020 Staffing shortages are real, with healthcare workers falling ill or some even leaving the profession, and hospital providers are exhausted, pleading for help from the community to take the situation more seriously and stay home. — Carolyn Barber, Fortune, "With COVID raging, why are we even still playing college basketball?," 14 Dec. 2020 Taylor, who went into the coaching profession, is currently an assistant under Fran McCaffery at No. 3 Iowa. — Rick Armstrong, chicagotribune.com, "Before Notre Dame. Before Arizona. IBCA Hall of Fame inductees LaMarr Justice, Billy Taylor and Corey Williams were playground buddies.," 8 Dec. 2020 Francis was conscious of elevating the profession’s status. — Greg Riddle, Dallas News, "Dallas ISD to induct seven into Athletic Hall of Fame in virtual ceremony," 7 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'profession.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near profession

professional corporation

professional foul

Statistics for profession

Last Updated

9 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Profession.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profession. Accessed 19 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for profession

profession

noun

English Language Learners Definition of profession

: a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill

: the people who work in a particular profession

formal : the act of declaring or saying something openly

See the full definition for profession in the English Language Learners Dictionary

profession

pro·fes·sion | \ prə-ˈfe-shən

\

Kids Definition of profession

1 : an occupation (as medicine, law, or teaching) that is not mechanical or agricultural and that requires special education

2 : an act of publicly declaring or claiming a profession of religious faith

3 : the people working in an occupation

profession

pro·fes·sion | \ prə-ˈfesh-ən

\

Medical Definition of profession

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

2 : the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

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