Professional — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /prə-ˈfesh-nəl/ pro·fes·sion·al

Meaning & Definition of Professional

Professional (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession
  2. engaged in a profession that requires academic learning as preparation
  3. characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession

Professional (noun)

  1. one that is professional, someone who does a job that requires special training, education, or skill, someone who is a member of a profession; especially, one that engages in a pursuit or activity professionally

Professional (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing trained ability in a particular field of knowledge

    "Many of the applicants lacked the professional experience the job required."

    "She had always dreamed of becoming a professional boxer."

    similar: expert, pro, technicalized, specialist, specialized, technical, accomplished, ace, adept, experienced, master, masterful, masterly, practiced, proficient, qualified, seasoned, skilled, skillful, veteran, educated, prepared, schooled, trained, authoritative, directorial, magisterial
    opposite: inexpert, lay, nonprofessional, unprofessional, general, nontechnical, untechnical, common, generalized, generic, nonexclusive, nonspecific, ordinary, overall, universal

  2. in a serious and polite manner

    "She found his presentation informative and his delivery quite professional."

    "Employees were expected to act in a professional manner when dealing with potential customers."

    similar: businesslike, dignified, distinguished, elevated, serious-minded, civil, courteous, gracious, genteel, mannerly, well-bred, befitting, correct, de rigueur, decent, decorous, nice, proper, respectable, seemly, artful, polished, refined, sophisticated, cool, earnest, grave, humorless, no-nonsense, po-faced (British), sedate, serious, severe, sober, sobersided, solemn, staid, uncomic, unsmiling, weighty
    opposite: unbusinesslike, unprofessional, artless, undignified, unmannerly, improper, indecent, unseemly, antic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, hysterical, laughable, light, light-headed, ludicrous, ridiculous, riotous, risible, screaming, sidesplitting, uproarious, featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, goofy, harebrained, lighthearted, puerile, scatterbrained, absurd, asinine, balmy, brainless, cockeyed, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dotty, fatuous, foolish, half-witted, insane, jerky, kooky, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, senseless, silly, unwise, wacky, weak-minded, witless, zany, facetious, flip, flippant, humorous, jesting, jocular, joking, kittenish, ludic, playful

Professional (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

    "If you want the job done right, you really should hire a professional."

    similar: pro, consultant, hired gun, specialist, addict, aficionado, buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, craftsman, journeyman, all-rounder (British), jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man, ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab (chiefly British), dab hand (chiefly British), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven, meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
    opposite: apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice, dabbler, dilettante, layman, nonprofessional, amateur, inexpert, nonexpert

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Professional

The most common words with a similar meaning to Professional:

British: po-faced, all-rounder
Chiefly British: dab, dab hand
expert, pro, technicalized, specialist, specialized, technical, accomplished, ace, adept, experienced, master, masterful, masterly, practiced, proficient, qualified, seasoned, skilled, skillful, veteran, educated, prepared, schooled, trained, authoritative, directorial, magisterial, businesslike, dignified, distinguished, elevated, serious-minded, civil, courteous, gracious, genteel, mannerly, well-bred, befitting, correct

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Professional

Words with the opposite meaning of Professional:

inexpert, lay, nonprofessional, unprofessional, general, nontechnical, untechnical, common, generalized, generic, nonexclusive, nonspecific, ordinary, overall, universal, unbusinesslike, artless, undignified, unmannerly, improper, indecent, unseemly, antic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, hysterical

Word Forms of Professional

Derived words: professionally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Professional

First known use: 1606

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Professional

Words & Phrases Containing Professional

professional corporation, professional foul, interprofessional

Frequently Asked Questions about Professional

What does "Professional" mean?

"Professional" means of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Professional"?

Other words for "Professional" include expert, pro, technicalized, specialist, specialized, technical, accomplished and ace. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Professional" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Professional"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Professional". Common alternatives include expert, pro, technicalized, specialist, specialized, technical, accomplished, ace, adept and experienced.

What is the opposite of "Professional"?

Antonyms of "Professional" include inexpert, lay, nonprofessional, unprofessional, general, nontechnical, untechnical and common.

How do you use "Professional" in a sentence?

Examples of "Professional" in a sentence: "Many of the applicants lacked the professional experience the job required."; "She had always dreamed of becoming a professional boxer."; "She found his presentation informative and his delivery quite professional.".

Is "Professional" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Professional" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Professional" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Professional" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Professional"?

"Professional" is pronounced /prə-ˈfesh-nəl/ and divided into syllables as pro·fes·sion·al.