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

Race-baiting narratives and professional victimhood have become staples of his brand. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Many CEOs have children at the starting point of their careers, which makes strategies around AI and talent feel both personal and professional. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 29 July 2026

Noun

The prize, presented in collaboration with the artistic direction of the Venice Film Festival, recognizes film professionals for their contribution to cinema and their creative work. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

Its 2025 edition drew more than 4,600 industry professionals from 46 countries and regions. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026