professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfe-sər How to pronounce professor (audio)
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 noun

Examples of professor in a Sentence

Professor Williams will be teaching the class.
Recent Examples on the Web According to the late professor and researcher John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago, loneliness is a biological signal akin to hunger or thirst. Meghan Keane, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024 Hanna, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, also knew that the model would raise some profound ethical questions. Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024 Man and His Works A scientific, readable treatise on cultural anthropology, by a leading authority, professor at Northwestern. Melville J. Herskovits, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024 But that didn't stop the U.S. Department of Labor last week from granting more than $200,000 to a Wayne State University professor's effort to improve mine worker safety from the threat of potentially deadly dust exposure. Matthew Dolan, Detroit Free Press, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for professor 

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of professor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near professor

Cite this Entry

“Professor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professor. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

professor

noun
pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfes-ər How to pronounce professor (audio)
: a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university
professorial
ˌprō-fə-ˈsōr-ē-əl How to pronounce professor (audio)
ˌpräf-ə-
-ˈsȯr-
adjective
professorially adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!