1
as in technical
having or showing trained ability in a particular field of knowledge
Many of the applicants lacked the professional experience the job required. She had always dreamed of becoming a professional boxer.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in civil
in a serious and polite manner
She found his presentation informative and his delivery quite professional. Employees were expected to act in a professional manner when dealing with potential customers.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in specialist
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
If you want the job done right, you really should hire a professional.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of professional
Community's Choice Awards, jsonline.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Cunningham’s time in Sacramento Cunningham became artistic director of Sacramento Ballet in 1988, at a time the company was transitioning into a fully professional operation.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Turn to a professional to eradicate the pests.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for professional
Adjective
The practice’s board‑certified ophthalmologists and experienced optometrists bring more than 75 years of combined professional experience and have performed over 18,000 major ophthalmic surgeries and laser procedures, utilizing current surgical and laser techniques.
—Community's Choice Awards, jsonline.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Cunningham’s time in Sacramento Cunningham became artistic director of Sacramento Ballet in 1988, at a time the company was transitioning into a fully professional operation.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
Talk with a professional about this situation and your life in general, and work to come to an understanding of what keeps you interested in someone who is no longer interested in you.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Turn to a professional to eradicate the pests.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for professional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professional
Adjective
-
Due to the 2024 hot fire test incident, the German launch startup spent 18 months conducting a comprehensive technical overhaul to ensure mission success.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Restricting mail-in voting, reducing early voting hours, or requiring additional documentation to register may sound technical and, on its face, maybe even fair ways to ensure credible elections.—
Celina Stewart,
Time,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Epoxy resins, meanwhile, serve as structural adhesives and protective coatings, and act as the primary matrix in carbon fiber components for wind turbine blades, aircraft structures, high-end sporting goods, and civil engineering reinforcements.—
Etiido Uko
March 08,
New Atlas,
8 Mar. 2026
-
However, simply being in the country without authorization — for example, after overstaying a visa — is generally a civil violation, according to immigration advocates.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those quotes were used to provide context and avoid downplaying the role of slavery in the Confederate rebellion, according to a former Harpers Ferry media specialist who inserted them.—
Karin Brulliard,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Every industry now faces some form of scarcity – skilled labor, components, energy, fabrication capacity, or regulatory throughput.—
Travis Edmonds,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Any of these pieces of equipment in the hands of a skilled operator should be able to make quick work of an average-sized stump.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The pompous clergyman enters the life of the Bennet family, his distant cousins, with the assumption that, given his respectable position and benefactor, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, one of those daughters would be happy to marry him.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The blue collar career, once a respectable path to home ownership and a stable family income, became something to escape rather than aspire to.—
Gerald Bradshaw,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jack Horner, a renowned paleontologist who worked as a consultant on all seven films in the Jurassic Park franchise, is no longer employed as a lecturer at Chapman University, following his name appearing several times in the Epstein files.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Political consultant Gabe Rivas has 10%.—
Rachel Royster
Updated March 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The design also required specialized manufacturing techniques to shape and assemble the delicate material without compromising its magnetic properties, according to Horse Powertrain.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Indiana will issue a bond for the stadium’s construction, which will be repaid through a Hammond 12% admissions tax and a Professional Sports Development Area specialized tax district.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bainbridge’s earlier novels often seem to have a similarly businesslike attitude.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Mike Macdonald is taking a businesslike approach to Seattle’s NFC championship game showdown Sunday with Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.—
Mike Griffith,
AJC.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Professional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professional. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
