professionally

professionally — adverb

1. with the level of skill, training, and care that a qualified expert would show w

1.adverbB1
Definition

with the level of skill, training, and care that a qualified expert would show when doing a particular type of work.

Example

Sofia handled the angry customer professionally and resolved the issue within minutes.

verb + professionally (after main verb)

The entire kitchen had been professionally designed with stainless steel worktops.

passive: be + professionally + past participle

Common collocations
  • handle professionally
  • behave professionally
  • act professionally
  • trained professionally
  • designed professionally
  • conduct oneself professionally
Synonyms
  • expertly

    Focuses on deep knowledge and experience; slightly more formal

  • skillfully

    Emphasises technical ability and dexterity

  • competently

    Suggests basic adequacy rather than excellence; weaker in praise

Antonyms
  • amateurishly

    Describes work that lacks the expected skill or polish

  • slipshod

    Describes careless, messy work

Grammar Patterns

verb + professionally

professionally + verb (before verb)

be + professionally + past participle

Usage Note

Can appear either before the main verb (I professionally edited the report) or after it (I edited the report professionally). The post-verb position is more common in spoken English.

Common Mistakes

He professionally fixed the pipe, meaning he got paid for it.
He fixed the pipe professionally, meaning he did a very good job.
When the focus is on skill rather than payment, 'professionally' describes the quality, not the employment status.

2. as a paid activity that provides your main income, rather than as an unpaid hobb

2.adverbB1
Definition

as a paid activity that provides your main income, rather than as an unpaid hobby or pastime.

Example

Tamar has been playing the violin professionally since she was eighteen.

verb + professionally for 'paid work' meaning

Walid began painting professionally after retiring from his teaching career.

Common collocations
  • play professionally
  • sing professionally
  • paint professionally
  • cook professionally
  • act professionally
  • race professionally
  • compete professionally
  • train professionally
Synonyms
  • for a living

    More conversational; specifies the income purpose directly

  • as a career

    Emphasises long-term commitment and advancement rather than current payment

Antonyms
  • as a hobby

    Done for personal enjoyment without expecting payment

  • for fun

    Done purely for pleasure, not for money

  • amateurishly

    Done without formal training or payment

Grammar Patterns

verb + professionally

professionally + verb

Usage Note

Typically used with creative, sporting, or craft activities (play, sing, paint, cook, dance, act, race). The contrast with doing something purely for enjoyment is central to this sense.

Common Mistakes

She runs professionally every morning.
She runs professionally, earning money from races and sponsorships.
'professionally' in this sense requires the context of earning an income, not just doing something regularly or well.

3. in the area of your job, career, or working role, especially when contrasted wit

3.adverbB1
Definition

in the area of your job, career, or working role, especially when contrasted with your personal or private life.

Example

Professionally, Evelyn is highly respected, but she keeps her private life quiet.

sentence adverb at start of clause

Ayana knew Bao professionally for years before they became close friends.

know + professionally (domain adverb)

Common collocations
  • personally and professionally
  • known professionally
  • respected professionally
  • act professionally
  • both personally and professionally
Synonyms
  • at work

    More informal; refers to the physical or social setting of one's job

  • career-wise

    Colloquial; focuses on advancement and professional development

  • in a work context

    Explicitly signals the situation rather than the person's role

Antonyms
  • personally

    Refers to private life, feelings, and relationships outside work

  • privately

    Refers to one's personal or home life

Grammar Patterns

professionally + comma + clause (sentence adverb)

verb + professionally (domain adverb)

Usage Note

Very frequently paired or contrasted with 'personally' in the same sentence. As a sentence adverb at the start of a clause ('Professionally,…'), it frames the domain of the statement that follows.

Common Mistakes

Professionally, he is a lawyer.
He works as a lawyer.
'Professionally' describes the domain of an opinion or situation, not what someone's job title is. Use 'as a lawyer' or 'by profession' for that.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe doing something well, but they differ in what kind of ability they highlight. 'Expertly' (B2) suggests deep, authoritative knowledge gained through long experience — a master craftsperson works expertly. 'Skillfully' (B1) focuses on technical dexterity and practiced technique; it suits physical or fine-motor tasks like knitting, drawing, or surgery. 'Competently' (B1) is the weakest of the group — it means meeting the basic standard without necessarily excelling. 'Adeptly' (C1) is more formal and less common; it implies quick, clever handling of challenges. 'Professionally' (B1) is the broadest: it covers not just the quality of the work but also the attitude, reliability, and conduct expected from someone trained for the role. For example, a receptionist who stays calm with an angry visitor is acting professionally even if no special skill is being demonstrated. An expert might handle the same situation expertly, but a truly professional person handles it with both skill and composure.

expertly ↗skillfullycompetentlyadeptly

Common collocations

Nouns

  • trained professionally
  • designed professionally
  • cook professionally
  • act professionally
  • play professionally

Phrases

  • personally and professionally
  • both personally and professionally

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Professionally is formed by adding the adverb suffix -ly to the adjective professional. The root goes back to the Latin verb profiteri, meaning 'to declare publicly'. In ancient Rome, a professio was a public declaration of one's calling or trade. The word entered English through Old French in the medieval period, first referring specifically to a monastic vow (a public declaration of faith). By the 1600s, profession had broadened to cover any occupation requiring advanced learning or training. The adjective professional (and its adverb form professionally) followed in the 1700s–1800s as the modern notion of skilled, fee-earning work took shape.