professionalize

verb

pro·​fes·​sion·​al·​ize prə-ˈfesh-nə-ˌlīz How to pronounce professionalize (audio)
-ˈfe-shə-nə-ˌlīz
professionalized; professionalizing

transitive verb

: to give a professional character to
professionalization
prə-ˌfesh-nə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce professionalize (audio)
-ˌfe-shə-nə-lə-
noun

Examples of professionalize in a Sentence

The country is professionalizing the military.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Association of Professional Art Advisors, founded in 1980, had grown from eight to forty members by 1987, and as the role professionalized in the decades that followed, art advisers became an art-world fixture.4 The APAA claims more than a hundred and seventy-five members today. Natasha Degen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024 World & Nation Is the Mexican government hiding how many people have gone missing? Feb. 15, 2024 During his time in office, critics say, López Obrador did little to professionalize Mexico’s municipal and state police forces, many of which have been accused of widespread corruption. Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024 August Vollmer of the Berkeley Police Department was a committed reformer who began recruiting college graduates to help professionalize the force. Susan Saulny, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 And how to professionalize a maturing practice by Emily Hund Spotlight Series / Winning at Influencer Marketing 01 Why the Influencer Industry Needs Guardrails 02 What Makes a Successful Celebrity Brand? Harvard Business Review, 1 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for professionalize 

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of professionalize was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near professionalize

Cite this Entry

“Professionalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professionalize. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

professionalize

verb
pro·​fes·​sion·​al·​ize prə-ˈfesh-nəl-ˌīz How to pronounce professionalize (audio)
-ən-ᵊl-
professionalized; professionalizing
: to give a professional nature to
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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