profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfe-shən How to pronounce profession (audio)
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

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 the playwright has never held my profession in high regard. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023 Today, the rise of artificial intelligence is transforming various industries and professions. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023 Images: Bloomberg News/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly Tangling with the legal profession is always a contact sport, but here’s a penalty flag for what’s happening in Montana. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2023 Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz charged Yong De Lin, 66, with four counts of reckless endangerment, unauthorized practice of a profession, and assault in the first and second degree. Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 19 Sep. 2023 Lotus’ critics in the medical profession also included Dr. Harbir Sian, an optometrist who discusses eye health on The 20/20 Podcast. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2023 De-policing can occur when an officer thinks the public is unfairly critical of the profession, Mourtgos discovered, but not necessarily if an officer thinks the public is merely ignorant of the job’s realities. cleveland, 17 Sep. 2023 Elvis impersonation is a dying profession, McArthur told me. Meg Bernhard, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023 The latest example is the formation of a National Pipeline Advisory Group this past July to address the profession’s talent shortage. Bysheryl Estrada, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profession.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of profession was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near profession

Cite this Entry

“Profession.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profession. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

profession

noun
pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfesh-ən How to pronounce profession (audio)
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 How to pronounce profession (audio)
1
: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation
2
: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

More from Merriam-Webster on profession

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