profession

profession — noun

1. any paid role that a person can do only after they have finished special study o

1.nounB1
Definition

any paid role that a person can do only after they have finished special study or training, especially one that society respects because it demands advanced knowledge or practical skill.

Example

Ms. Okafor knew the teaching profession required years of training before she could lead a classroom.

the [field] profession as object of 'knew'

Jiwoo decided to join the medical profession after volunteering at a local clinic.

join the [field] profession

Common collocations
  • enter a profession
  • choose a profession
  • by profession
  • the medical/legal/teaching profession
  • join a profession
Synonyms
  • occupation

    more neutral and formal; any paid job, not only skilled ones

  • career

    focuses on the long-term path and progression, not just the type of work

  • trade

    used for skilled physical work like plumbing or carpentry, less formal than profession

Grammar Patterns

by profession

the [field] profession

profession of [field]

Usage Note

Frequently used with a specific field name (the medical profession, the teaching profession) or the phrase by profession to say what kind of work someone does. The noun can be followed by a singular or plural verb: the profession has/have strict rules.

Common Mistakes

His profession is a teacher.
He is a teacher by profession.
profession describes your general field of work, not your specific job title.
I want to get a good profession after college.
I want to enter a good profession after college.
you enter or join a profession, not 'get' one.

2. all the people employed in one skilled field, considered together as sharing the

2.nounB2
Definition

all the people employed in one skilled field, considered together as sharing the same duties and standards.

Example

The legal profession has strict rules about how lawyers must behave with their clients.

the [field] profession + singular verb

Members of the nursing profession often work long hours in busy city hospitals.

Common collocations
  • the profession is/are
  • members of the profession
  • within the profession
  • the legal/medical/teaching profession
Synonyms
  • field

    less formal and broader; includes any area of work or study

  • sector

    more business-focused; can include non-professional work

Grammar Patterns

the [field] profession + singular/plural verb

Usage Note

Takes a singular or plural verb. The plural verb is more common in British English (the profession are divided on this issue). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to the people, not the type of work.

Common Mistakes

The profession needs to hire more doctors' (vague — which profession?).
The medical profession needs to hire more doctors.
specify which field when using sense 2.

3. one of the traditional, highly respected careers — such as medicine, law, or the

3.noun
Definition

one of the traditional, highly respected careers — such as medicine, law, or the church — that have required advanced university study for centuries, rather than modern skilled jobs in business or technology.

Example

In the past, only men could enter the profession of law or medicine in many countries.

enter the profession of [field]

Erik's grandfather entered the legal profession right after finishing his law degree.

Common collocations
  • the legal/medical profession
  • the profession of law/medicine/theology
  • enter the profession
  • a learned profession
Synonyms
  • calling

    emphasises a strong personal sense of purpose or religious duty

  • vocation

    similar to calling, often used for roles people find deeply meaningful

Grammar Patterns

the profession of [medicine/law/theology]

enter the profession

Usage Note

Typically used with the (the profession, the legal profession) or in the structure the profession of + field. This sense is more formal than sense 1 and is not used for business, industry, or trade work. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 is limited to the traditional 'learned' fields, whereas sense 1 covers any skilled work.

Common Mistakes

He works in the profession of business.
He works in business.
business is not considered a learned profession in the traditional sense.

4. when you openly and formally state your beliefs, feelings, or plans to the publi

4.noun
Definition

when you openly and formally state your beliefs, feelings, or plans to the public.

Example

The senator made a profession of his support for better schools across the state.

make a profession of [feeling/intention]

Devika stood before the congregation on Sunday to make a public profession of her faith.

Common collocations
  • profession of faith
  • profession of support
  • make a profession of
  • public profession
Synonyms
  • declaration

    more direct and commonly used; less formal than profession

  • assertion

    implies confidence or forcefulness; the speaker may be defending the claim

  • avowal

    very formal; emphasises honesty and openness

Antonyms
  • denial

    a statement that something is not true

Grammar Patterns

profession of [faith/support/thanks]

make a profession of [something]

Usage Note

Often followed by of + abstract noun (profession of faith, profession of support). This sense is more formal and emphatic than a simple statement. Common in political, religious, or public contexts.

Common Mistakes

He made a profession that he would arrive on time.
He made a profession of his intention to arrive on time.
the pattern is profession of + noun, not profession + that-clause.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words describe paid work, each has a different emphasis. Profession is used when the work requires special training or advanced education, especially in respected fields like medicine or law. Occupation is the most neutral term for any regular paid job, regardless of skill level — filling in a form asks for your occupation, not your profession. Career focuses on the long-term path and progression within a field: someone might work in the medical profession but have a career as a heart surgeon. Trade describes skilled physical work such as plumbing, carpentry, or electrical work — typically learned through apprenticeship rather than university. Vocation and calling emphasise a strong personal sense of purpose: 'She felt nursing was her vocation.' A teacher might say 'I love my profession' to stress its skill and status, while saying 'I chose the right career' to talk about advancement. A plumber would say 'my trade' not 'my profession'.

occupation ↗career ↗trade ↗vocation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • profession + verb (has/have/requires)
  • adjective + profession (chosen/medical/legal/teaching)

Phrases

  • enter a profession
  • join a profession
  • members of the profession

Prepositions

  • by profession
  • in the [field] profession
  • within the profession

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Profession entered English around 1200 via Old French, from Latin professio, meaning 'a public declaration.' The Latin root profitērī combines pro- ('forth') and fatērī ('to acknowledge or confess'). The word originally described the vow taken when entering a religious order. By the 1500s it had expanded to mean any occupation a person 'professes' themselves skilled in, particularly the learned fields of medicine, law, and theology that required a formal declaration of expertise.