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
Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2025
Now in its fifth year, PGA Create is a professional development lab for creative producers in active development, financing, or packaging of a feature or series.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Since 2020, that database has provided information used by professionals in areas of homeland security, school safety and violence prevention.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for professional
Adjective
The 26-year-old has been on stage at the Oscars, Grammys and Latin American Music Awards — but never in her hometown since starting her professional career and moving to Los Angeles at age 18.
—Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2025
Now in its fifth year, PGA Create is a professional development lab for creative producers in active development, financing, or packaging of a feature or series.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Medical professionals warn that ingesting magnets can lead to serious consequences such as pressure necrosis, perforation, obstruction, fistula and sepsis.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Since 2020, that database has provided information used by professionals in areas of homeland security, school safety and violence prevention.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for professional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professional
Adjective
-
Review the smartwatch’s technical specifications and find a compatible charger.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The complex structure necessitated the producers parcelling out creative and technical roles based on each country’s contribution.—
Marcus Lim,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The criminal operations have gone largely unchallenged in Cambodia due to the complete dismantling in recent years of the country’s civil society and independent media.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
-
From their point of view, there will be a local council that will get a lot of money from international donors, but, behind the scenes, Hamas, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, will be able to continue to preserve its military and political and civil power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Saturday’s flight was the 13th with supplies for Gaza by Samaritan’s Purse and its disaster response specialists.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Oct. 2025
-
It was instead broadcast via a specialist beauty and pageantry streaming service.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In some, the specialized cells were present for decades.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Determining the species of necrophagous flies (the kind that alight on a body, then lay eggs there) and other insects isn't always easy, though, and forensic entomology is such a specialized discipline that few law enforcement agencies have ready access to an expert in the field.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There are a lot of very respectable academics that have done a lot of really amazing work in Black Studies and Africana Studies.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
As for the rest, Derby rallied to finish a remarkable third (eventually losing to Queens Park Rangers in the play-off final), while Middlesbrough (12th), Bolton (14th) and Wednesday (16th) claimed a respectable mid-table berth.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
What To Know Democrats Peter Hubbard, a renewable energy advocate, and Alicia Johnson, a health care consultant, are challenging Republican incumbents Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Previously, Chen was an executive director for housing finance and financial markets research at the JPMorgan Chase Institute and an economics consultant at Analysis Group.—
Alix Langone,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After inadvertently amassing a network of specialized experts, the startup has pivoted to hiring highly skilled professionals to train AI models.—
Jaures Yip,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
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Greenlight Alberta, which its creators say is the first of its kind in Canada, will see local professionals trained in key production roles, as an answer to the growing demand for skilled crew across the country.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As the subject of Materialists, Lucy’s coolness evolves from a businesslike need to maintain control over a situation.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
-
And how would the famously gruff and businesslike Belichick work with nineteen-year-olds?—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Professional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professional. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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