profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfe-shən 

1

a

: a principal calling, vocation, or employment

b

: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

c

: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation

2

: an act of openly declaring or publicly claiming a belief, faith, or opinion : protestation

3

: the act of taking the vows of a religious community

4

: an avowed religious faith

Synonyms

• affirmation
• assertion
• asseveration
• avouchment
• avowal
• claim
• declaration
• insistence
• protestation

Examples of profession in a Sentence

The doctor talked to students who are thinking about entering the profession.

Most professions in the medical field require years of training.

Their daughter recently became a member of the medical profession.

Recent Examples on the Web

The native Texan has a short résumé, mainly because playing Georgie became something of a permanent profession. —Skyler Trepel, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Richard Hendricks, Pied Piper’s founder and the primary author of that algorithm, is a coder by profession but an idealist by nature. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025

America’s Best-In-State CPAs 2025 Liren Wei’s rise to the top of the CPA profession began in an unlikely place: the dentist’s chair. —Steel Rose, Cpa, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Few artists become saints and no architect, in the modern understanding of the profession, has ever been canonized. —Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English professioun, from Anglo-French profession, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin profession-, professio, from Latin, public declaration, from profitēri

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing profession

• oldest profession
• the oldest profession
• the oldest profession in the world
• the world's oldest profession
• world's oldest profession

Rhymes for profession

• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• depression
• digression
• discretion
• expression
• impression
• obsession
• oppression

Kids Definition

profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfesh-ən 

1

: the act of taking the vows of a religious community

2

: a public declaring or claiming (as of a belief, faith, or opinion)

3

a

: an occupation (as medicine, law, or teaching) that requires specialized knowledge and often advanced education

b

: a principal occupation or employment

c

: the people working in a profession

the legal profession

Medical Definition

profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfesh-ən 

1

: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation

2

: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling