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.
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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.
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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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of professional
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
This year’s luncheon will feature a powerful lineup of speakers whose personal experiences and professional leadership reflect the many dimensions of breast cancer impact from survivorship and advocacy to innovation in care and research.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 12 Jan. 2026
An informal, expatriate group of academics and professionals told TIME on Sunday that, per their calculations, protester deaths could have reached 6,000 through Saturday.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for professional
Adjective
That’s how every professional sports organization speaks of its assistants with the potential to climb the coaching ladder.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
This year’s luncheon will feature a powerful lineup of speakers whose personal experiences and professional leadership reflect the many dimensions of breast cancer impact from survivorship and advocacy to innovation in care and research.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Noun
The best diet for you depends on your lifestyle, health goals, and input from a healthcare professional.
—Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 12 Jan. 2026
An informal, expatriate group of academics and professionals told TIME on Sunday that, per their calculations, protester deaths could have reached 6,000 through Saturday.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for professional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professional
Adjective
-
Paffett-Lugassy shared that approachability matters more than technical novelty.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This technical variation results in a fabric with a number of highly desirable characteristics for denim.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Constitutional law professor David Schultz, who has taught a class on police, criminal and civil procedure, has some answers.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
But the memory of decades-long civil unrest, largely ended by a peace agreement signed in 2016, is still fresh enough to provide a real-life context for Teddy’s machinations.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The voluntary program allows local districts and private schools to train employees or hire armed specialists to respond to active threats.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, print specialist Armand Clark kept an eye on a huge glossy banner for an upcoming event at the Minnesota Children’s Museum that was slowly emerging from a large-format printer.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The shift toward high-skilled gig work is a response to a volatile labor market where even professional skills aren’t enough to ensure a worker’s job security.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Ensure a steady pipeline of skilled workers who are capable of navigating challenges and changing market conditions — driving innovation and maintaining organizational stability.—
Karen Hinds,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But after a transfer of ownership and a revamp of the voting body, the Golden Globes TV awards have gotten positively respectable.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Rookie Andres Borregales made 27 of 32 attempts, a respectable mark.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Beauty is executive produced by Murphy, Hodgson, Peters, Ramos, Pope, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Michael Uppendahl, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwerin and Jeremy Haun, who serves as a consultant.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In 2024, industry consultant DC Byte found that the country was Asia-Pacific’s fastest growing market for data centers.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of those numbers include hundreds of specialized, flashing, or vibrating alarms for those with disabilities, the deaf, or hard of hearing.—
Jasmine Viel,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The showcase highlighted how humanoid form factors can extend beyond factories into highly specialized medical applications.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Cignetti’s group has a businesslike demeanor that wasn’t remotely altered by Alabama’s reputation and history.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Smart money would tell the Niners to turn in another businesslike performance after the bye, put 10 wins and a playoff berth in the bag and hold on until the playoffs.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Professional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professional. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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