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

Wharton professor Peter Conti-Brown discusses whether the banking system offers a useful model for supervising powerful AI companies. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Miles is the founder of The Reading Institute and a professor at Brooklyn College. — Katie Pace Miles, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026

Together with Jake Francis, a professor at the university, Bloom walked through the spongy soil that was frozen solid a few weeks earlier. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

The study looks sound, said Robert Paarlberg, a professor emeritus of political science focused on food policy at Wellesley University, via email. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 24 Aug. 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