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

Like in any field or profession, the medical profession has a very wide range of doctors that vary substantially in quality, training, experience, judgment, insight and personalities. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026

After graduating from law school with more than $200,000 in student loan debt, Gregory says she was surprised by how little many legal positions paid compared to the public perception of the profession. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026

There is no proposal for an income VAT like the New Hampshire Business Enterprise Tax, with low rates made possible by an all-encompassing base, nor for the broad extension of the sales tax to professions and service businesses. —George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026

For all but a few professions (airline pilot, air-traffic controller), Congress eliminated mandatory retirement in 1986, deeming it age discrimination; between 2000 and 2010, the number of college professors over the age of sixty-five doubled. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 12 June 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