Profession

How to spell profession

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce profession

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does profession mean?

1. nounA paid occupation, especially one that requires advanced training or formal qualifications.
2. nounAn open declaration or avowal of a belief, feeling, or intention.

Profession in a sentence

• Nursing is a demanding profession that rewards patience and care.

• His profession of loyalty did little to convince the sceptical board.

• She left teaching for a profession in corporate law.

• The ceremony included a public profession of faith.

Where does profession come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb profiteri, meaning 'to declare openly' or 'to claim publicly', formed from pro- 'forth, before others' and fateri 'to confess or acknowledge'. The related noun professio originally described a public declaration, including the formal vow a person made when entering a religious order. English took it in through Old French during the 1300s, at first in that sense of a solemn avowal, especially of faith. From the idea of openly declaring one's calling, the meaning broadened to the calling or occupation itself, so that learned vocations like medicine and law became 'professions'. The same fateri root still surfaces in 'confess' and 'profess', a useful reminder that the middle of the word is spelled with a double s.

How the word is built

• pro- (forth, publicly)
• fess (from Latin fateri: to declare, confess)
• -ion (noun suffix)