profession

 
Pronunciation: /prəˈfɛʃ(ə)n/

noun

  • 1a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification: his chosen profession of teaching a barrister by profession
  • [treated as singular or plural] a body of people engaged in a particular profession: the legal profession has become increasingly business-conscious
  • 2an open but often false claim: his profession of delight rang hollow
  • 3a declaration of belief in a religion: [mass noun]: they were baptized on profession of faith
  • the declaration or vows made on entering a religious order.
  • [mass noun] the ceremony or fact of being professed in a religious order: after profession she taught in Maidenhead

Phrases

the oldest profession

humorous the practice of working as a prostitute.

Origin:

Middle English (denoting the vow made on entering a religious order): via Old French from Latin professio(n-), from profiteri 'declare publicly' (see profess). profession (sense 1) derives from the notion of an occupation that one ‘professes’ to be skilled in

Spelling help

Spell profession with one f and a double s.

having a profession should finance a sizeable salary.