professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfe-sər 

1

: one that professes, avows, or declares

2

a

: a faculty member of the highest academic rank at an institution of higher education

b

: a teacher at a university, college, or sometimes secondary school

c

: one that teaches or professes special knowledge of an art, sport, or occupation requiring skill

professorship

prə-ˈfe-sər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of professor in a Sentence

Professor Williams will be teaching the class.

Recent Examples on the Web

Video of the incident showed the professor grabbing and twisting the arm of the pro-Palestinian student. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

However, Harris, the political science professor, said Amendment 4 would likely have more of an immediate impact on the state. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026

In fact, there are about 14 million households with no air conditioning, according to data analyzed by UC Berkeley professor Lucas Davis. — Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Michael Fanselow, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, has spent his career studying this dynamic. — Literary Hub, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing professor

• assistant professor
• associate professor
• regius professor

Rhymes for professor

• aggressor
• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• repressor
• successor

Kids Definition

professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfes-ər 

: a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university

professorial

ˌprō-fə-ˈsōr-ē-əl 

ˌpräf-ə-, 

-ˈsȯr-

adjective

professorially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb