professional

noun

1. 1

   A person who belongs to a profession.

2. 2

   A white-collar worker, especially one with a specialized, high-earning job such as a doctor or engineer.

   […]extra income earned this way is normally used for buying consumer goods, such as a cottage, car, boat, and so on, irrespective of whether the recipient is a professional or a tradesman.

   They devised their own categories in which the working class formed a smaller proportion of the electorate: • I Salariat (managers, administrators, professionals, semi-professionals)

   Russian immigrants had the highest percentage of professionals or managers (49 percent)

3. 3

   A person who earns their living from a specified activity.

4. 4

   A prostitute.

   There was this nice lady who flirted with me at the bar, but it turned out that she was a professional.

5. 5

   A reputation known by name.

6. 6

   An expert.

   I have learned that there is a person attached to a golf club called a professional. Find out who fills that post at the Green Meadow Club; […] invite the professional, urgently, to dine with us this evening.

7. 7

   One of four categories of sociologist propounded by Horowitz: a sociologist who is actively concerned with promoting the profession of sociology.

adjective

1. 1

   Of, pertaining to, or in accordance with the (usually high) standards of a profession.

   The doctor is very professional in his manner.

   You should get professional advice about your tax liability.

   His forefathers had been, as a rule, professional men—physicians and lawyers; his grandfather died under the walls of Chapultepec Castle while twisting a tourniquet for a cursing dragoon; an uncle remained indefinitely at Malvern Hill;[…].

2. 2

   Expert.

3. 3

   Of an occupation, paid, especially so as to provide a livelihood.

   a professional musician, a professional footballer

   The little green men were clearly professional soldiers by their bearing, carried Russian weapons, and wore Russian combat fatigues, but they had no identifying insignia. Vladimir Putin originally denied they were Russian soldiers; that April, he confirmed they were.

4. 4

   Engaging in persistent behaviour that is exaggeratedly implied to be a full-time, paid occupation.

   Don't listen to him, he's a professional bullshitter.

   As a professional optimist, I always look on the bright side.

Forms

plural

professionals

comparative

more professional

superlative

most professional