Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to or characteristic of a profession: Pertaining to a paid occupation, especially one that requires formal education or training.
   • Engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation: Doing something for payment, as opposed to as a hobby.
   • Worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent, skillful, or assured: Exhibiting a high standard of skill, competence, or conduct.

2. Noun:

   • A person engaged or qualified in a profession: An individual who earns a living from a specified professional activity.
   • A person who engages in an activity with great competence: Someone who is highly skilled in a particular field, regardless of payment.
   • A person who is paid to participate in a sport or other competitive activity: An athlete or performer who receives payment, as opposed to an amateur.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She sought professional advice from a lawyer.
  • He maintained a professional demeanor during the difficult meeting.
  • The company is known for its professional standards.

• Noun:

  • The conference was attended by professionals from the healthcare sector.
  • As a professional, she is committed to continuous learning.
  • He turned professional after winning the amateur championship.

Advanced Usage

• "The professional": Used to refer to the ideal standard or embodiment of professional qualities.
  • In his approach to problem-solving, he is the professional.
• "On a professional level": Concerning the aspects related to one's job or career.
  • We get along well on a professional level.

Variants and Related Words

• Professionally (adverb): In a professional manner.
  • She handled the complaint professionally.
• Professionalism (noun): The competence or skill expected of a professional; the practicing of an activity, especially a sport, by professional rather than amateur players.
  • His professionalism impressed all his clients.
• Professionalize (verb): To give a professional character or status to.
  • The association sought to professionalize the industry.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Expert, skilled, qualified, proficient, businesslike.
• Noun: Expert, specialist, authority, pro (informal), careerist.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Amateur, unprofessional, incompetent, lay.
• Noun: Amateur, novice, beginner, layperson.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Professional courtesy: Special consideration or favorable treatment extended by one professional to another.
  • The doctor provided the consultation as a professional courtesy.
• Professional distance: The maintenance of an appropriate emotional separation in professional relationships.
  • Therapists must keep a professional distance from their clients.

Adjective

1. engaged in by members of a profession
   • professional occupations include medicine and the law and teaching
2. of or relating to a profession
   • we need professional advice
   • professional training
   • professional equipment for his new office
3. characteristic of or befitting a profession or one engaged in a profession
   • professional conduct
   • professional ethics
   • a thoroughly professional performance
4. of or relating to or suitable as a profession
   • professional organizations
   • a professional field such as law
5. engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood
   • the professional man or woman possesses distinctive qualifications
   • began her professional career after the Olympics
   • professional theater
   • professional football
   • a professional cook
   • professional actors and athletes

Noun

1. an authority qualified to teach apprentices
2. an athlete who plays for pay
3. a person engaged in one of the learned professions