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profession

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

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web These are two guys who have long been at the top of the profession. — Derek Lawrence, EW.com, "Ford v Ferrari star Jon Bernthal was thrilled to finally be 'the guy in the suit'," 5 Nov. 2019 As the economics of medicine have shifted, so have the underlying demographics of the profession. — Abigail Abrams, Time, "A New Generation of Activist Doctors Is Fighting for Medicare for All," 24 Oct. 2019 People should not be prosecuted for their profession. — Rod Mcguirk, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Australian papers redact front pages to expose govt secrecy," 20 Oct. 2019 The reason for the carve-outs is fairly clear: Farming, for the entire existence of the profession, has been an unstable field of work. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "American Farming Runs on Exploitation," 17 Oct. 2019 And the truth is that the pressure of this profession can turn you into a robot. — SI.com, "Gianluigi Buffon Reveals Mental Health Struggles in Eye-Opening Letter to His Younger Self," 14 Oct. 2019 The Milken Educator Awards were created by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987 and recognize teaching excellence publicly to show communities the importance of the teaching profession. — al, "Alabama biology teacher Raisa Eady wins $25,000, ‘Oscar of education'," 9 Oct. 2019 Welders at the 90th percentile of income for the profession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earn $63,000 a year before taxes. — Paul Tough, The Atlantic, "The Myth of the Wealthy Welder," 13 Sep. 2019 The second edition in 1981 landed during my blur of academic training and understanding of the profession in college. — Tom Hoffarth, latimes.com, "‘Ball Four’ author Jim Bouton smoked baseball inside until the very end," 14 July 2019

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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First Known Use of profession

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for profession

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

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Time Traveler for profession

Time Traveler

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

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Statistics for profession

Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Profession.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professions. Accessed 9 December 2019.

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More Definitions for profession

profession

noun
How to pronounce profession (audio)

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

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

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

noun
pro·​fes·​sion | \ prə-ˈfesh-ən How to pronounce profession (audio) \

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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More from Merriam-Webster on profession

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for profession

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with profession

Spanish Central: Translation of profession

Nglish: Translation of profession for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of profession for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about profession

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