Synonyms of professional

professional 1 of 2

adjective

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

• technical
• skilled
• specialized
• pro
• expert
• skillful
• technicalized
• experienced
• specialist
• educated
• proficient
• qualified
• veteran
• adept
• practiced
• seasoned
• ace
• master
• trained
• prepared
• masterly
• masterful
• accomplished
• directorial
• authoritative
• magisterial
• schooled

Dissimilar Words

• nonprofessional
• unprofessional
• general
• lay
• nontechnical
• inexpert
• ordinary
• overall
• common
• generic
• universal
• generalized
• nonspecific
• untechnical
• nonexclusive

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

• civil
• respectable
• businesslike
• proper
• gracious
• distinguished
• polished
• dignified
• courteous
• serious-minded
• sophisticated
• nice
• well-bred
• mannerly
• earnest
• correct
• serious
• decorous
• decent
• genteel
• befitting
• refined
• elevated
• artful
• seemly
• solemn
• unsmiling
• humorless
• no-nonsense
• staid
• sober
• sedate
• de rigueur
• severe
• po-faced
• uncomic
• grave
• sobersided
• weighty
• cool

Dissimilar Words

• unprofessional
• unbusinesslike
• improper
• artless
• undignified
• comic
• indecent
• light
• funny
• unseemly
• unmannerly
• ridiculous
• comical
• hysterical
• hilarious
• ludicrous
• farcical
• riotous
• frivolous
• laughable
• lighthearted
• goofy
• antic
• droll
• uproarious
• risible
• foolish
• mad
• insane
• absurd
• silly
• humorous
• screaming
• scatterbrained
• playful
• zany
• crazy
• unwise
• puerile
• wacky
• flighty
• fatuous
• jerky
• nutty
• nonsensical
• joking
• harebrained
• preposterous
• jocular
• flippant
• cuckoo
• kooky
• loony
• senseless
• witless
• asinine
• brainless
• sappy
• sidesplitting
• daffy
• balmy
• facetious
• daft
• flip
• ludic
• cockeyed
• kittenish
• light-headed
• screwball
• featherbrained
• weak-minded
• dotty
• half-witted
• jesting

professional

2 of 2

noun

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

• specialist
• consultant
• pro
• craftsman
• enthusiast
• fan
• expert
• devotee
• hired gun
• journeyman
• aficionado
• addict
• buff
• guru
• master
• artist
• proficient
• virtuoso
• scholar
• adept
• Renaissance man
• shark
• hotshot
• connoisseur
• sharp
• all-rounder
• maestro
• geek
• wizard
• jack-of-all-trades
• crackerjack
• ace
• past master
• whiz
• maven
• authority
• dab hand
• meister
• fiend
• cognoscente
• hand
• dab

Dissimilar Words

• novice
• beginner
• apprentice
• neophyte
• layman
• amateur
• dilettante
• dabbler
• nonprofessional
• nonexpert
• inexpert

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of professional

Adjective

What’s more, many older adult don’t generally think of counseling as an option in the first place, research suggests – instead preferring informal sources of help over professional mental health services. — Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

Provider credentials, clear service information, useful patient education and a professional digital presence can build confidence while your practice establishes its reputation. — Ajay Prasad, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Noun

Labor Day Samsung Tablet Deals Engineered for power users, digital illustrators, and mobile professionals, the flagship Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 delivers unmatched Android performance. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

The crowd was mostly made up of young professionals with good jobs and dental plans. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026