- an occupation requiring special training in the liberal arts or sciences, esp one of the three learned professions, law, theology, or medicine
- the body of people in such an occupation
- the act of professing; avowal; declaration
- Also called: profession of faith a declaration of faith in a religion, esp as made on entering the Church of that religion or an order belonging to it
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pro•fes•sion /prəˈfɛʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable] an occupation requiring a great deal of education or specialized training.
- any occupation, form of employment, or business: [countable]an interesting profession.[uncountable;
by + ~]a teacher by profession. - the group of persons working in such an occupation:[uncountable]thinks the medical profession is greatly overpaid.
- [countable] the declaring of one's belief in religion or a faith.
pro•fes•sion
(prə fesh′ən),USA pronunciation n.
pro•fes′sion•less, n.
- a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science:the profession of teaching.Cf. learned profession.
- any vocation or business.
- the body of persons engaged in an occupation or calling:to be respected by the medical profession.
- the act of professing;
avowal;
a declaration, whether true or false:professions of dedication. - the declaration of belief in or acceptance of religion or a faith:the profession of Christianity.
- a religion or faith professed.
- the declaration made on entering into membership of a church or religious order.
- Medieval Latin professiōn- (stem of professiō) the taking of the vows of a religious order. See professed, -ion
- Middle English 1175–1225
- 1. calling, employment. See occupation. 4. asseveration, assertion, protestation.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
profession /prəˈfɛʃən/ n
'profession' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
academy
- accountancy
- acting
- apprentice
- around
- artist
- Athanasian Creed
- author
- authorship
- Baptist
- Bar
- big time
- blackball
- board
- boxing
- brother
- brotherhood
- business
- caddie
- caduceus
- call
- calling
- caring
- career
- career woman
- caste
- caterer
- certificate
- colleague
- confrère
- corporative
- decorator
- do
- doyen
- engineer
- engineering
- -er
- ethical
- ethics
- faculty
- father
- first lady
- fisherman
- fourth estate
- garb
- general
- go
- grande dame
- interior decorator
- inventor