profession

noun

pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfe-shən How to pronounce profession (audio)
1
: the act of taking the vows of a religious community
2
: an act of openly declaring or publicly claiming a belief, faith, or opinion : protestation
3
: an avowed religious faith
4
a
: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation
b
: a principal calling, vocation, or employment
c
: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

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 Aka’s affinity for the clothes of both professions has influenced his brand, Clerica, which launched in December with a collection of T-shirts and tracksuits. Nicole Demarco Dalya Benor Caitie Kelly Juan A. Ramírez Monica Mendal Janet Siroto, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Many take cleaning jobs, one of the few professions in urban Senegal open to women without a formal education. Andrei Popoviciu, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 Midgley started cooking at age 14, attended the California Culinary Academy, then dove into the profession as a bar owner and bartender. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Attorneys petitioning for disciplinary revocation usually plan on leaving the profession anyway or expect to be disbarred, so just want to save the time and expense of going through the discipline case. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The others are the profession of faith; praying five times a day; giving to charity; and making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 She is involved with the Federalist Society, a conservative legal network that formed in response to what the founders perceived as liberal ideology dominating law schools and the legal profession. Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Among the suspects were a schoolteacher, coaches and active-duty military members, among other professions. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 But, as a general rule, a profession that inhales a lot of money, a lot of land and a lot of material generally goes wildly underscrutinized and uncritiqued — especially in any place that is not New York. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profession.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of profession was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near profession

Cite this Entry

“Profession.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profession. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

profession

noun
pro·​fes·​sion prə-ˈfesh-ən How to pronounce profession (audio)
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 How to pronounce profession (audio)
1
: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation
2
: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling

More from Merriam-Webster on profession

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