ENGLISH
REFERENCE

profession

n. countable
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //pɹəˈfɛʃən// UK //pɹəfˈɛʃən// pro·fes·sion General-service

n. a type of job that needs special training or a high level of education. It often involves a set of rules or standards that workers must follow.

n. a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification. Often implies a collective body of practitioners who adhere to ethical standards and specialized knowledge.


SIMPLE

She chose the teaching profession because she loves helping children.

CONTEXTUAL

Entering the legal profession requires years of dedicated study and passing a rigorous bar examination.

COMPLEX

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is forcing every established profession to reconsider its traditional workflows and the unique value of human expertise.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English professioun, from Anglo-Norman professioun, Old French profession (“declaration of faith, religious vows, occupation”), from Latin professiō (“avowal, public declaration”), from the participle stem of profitērī (“to profess”). By surface analysis, profess + -ion.

Usage

Often used with the definite article when referring to a specific field as a whole, such as 'the medical profession'.

Pitfall

What is your profession?What is your job?While grammatically correct, 'profession' is very formal for a casual introduction; 'job' or 'work' is more natural in daily conversation.

Idioms1 entry

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