professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfe-sər 

1

: one that professes, avows, or declares

2

a

: a faculty member of the highest academic rank at an institution of higher education

b

: a teacher at a university, college, or sometimes secondary school

c

: one that teaches or professes special knowledge of an art, sport, or occupation requiring skill

professorship

prə-ˈfe-sər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of professor in a Sentence

Professor Williams will be teaching the class.

Recent Examples on the Web

Technological advances in steel production have made the work less labor intensive, reducing the need for employees, Katheryn Russ, an economics professor at the University of California, Davis, told ABC News. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2024

Benjamin Laker is a university professor who’s been writing about leadership and strategy on Forbes since early 2020. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

There's some evidence to support that, said Michael Alcazar, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. —Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024

Listen to this article An Illinois appeals court on Friday overturned the murder conviction of a former Northwestern University professor who was convicted in the gruesome killing of his boyfriend, ruling that a Cook County judge unlawfully barred him access to his attorney during the trial. —Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing professor

• assistant professor
• associate professor
• regius professor

Kids Definition

professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfes-ər 

: a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university

professorial

ˌprō-fə-ˈsōr-ē-əl 

ˌpräf-ə-

-ˈsȯr-

adjective

professorially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb