professional 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of professionalnext
1
as in technical
having or showing trained ability in a particular field of knowledge Many of the applicants lacked the professional experience the job required. She had always dreamed of becoming a professional boxer.

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2
as in civil
in a serious and polite manner She found his presentation informative and his delivery quite professional. Employees were expected to act in a professional manner when dealing with potential customers.

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professional

2 of 2

noun

as in specialist
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field If you want the job done right, you really should hire a professional.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of professional
Adjective
From Olympic champions to professional basketball players, these athletes have helped shape sports history while opening doors for those who follow. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 The cinematic film follows a number of wrestlers in different stages of their careers, including a yokozuna, a title denoting the highest rank in professional sumo, over the course of a year. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
Schwam’s longtime relationship with Edwards extended beyond the professional. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026 Permissions and approval controls for users, accountants and tax professionals. — Dana Miranda, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for professional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professional
  1. technical
  2. civil
  3. specialist
  4. skilled
  5. respectable
  6. consultant
  7. specialized
  8. businesslike
Adjective
  • On winding roads, its model-specific suspension tuning and focus on weight reduction translate into exceptional body control at speed without becoming brittle or overly rigid in slower, more technical sections.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Those findings may help developers evaluate design choices and build stronger technical cases for future projects.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of technical
Adjective
  • About 300 military personnel, police and rescue workers searched along Ensenada’s El Pipila stream Tuesday, while the Mexican Navy continued looking for the missing fishermen, state civil protection authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Jamie Majerus, the civil attorney representing five surrogates suing Xuan and Zhang for fraud, has alleged in court filings that the couple also presented an attorney of their choosing to the mothers.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of civil
Noun
  • Sebastian Roché, a policing specialist at France's National Center for Scientific Research, said their use can depend on the political needs of the government, which commands them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Inside a training apartment on-site, specialists taught Darnes how to navigate daily life using touch, sound, bump dots, and his remaining senses.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of specialist
Adjective
  • Minervini, a polished and skilled host, did good work in the Marlins studio for a quarter century.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Co-founder Bohdan Sas said the company is focusing on missions that place heavy demands on skilled operators, including reconnaissance, counter-drone defense and precision-strike assistance.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of skilled
Adjective
  • For 26 years, Ecuador has remained immune from the plague of a currency crisis and has sustained respectable economic growth, low inflation, and surging exports.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Neither release became a theatrical phenomenon, but each earned more than $40 million worldwide — suggesting even mediocre horror films can get respectable returns when their premises are appealing enough.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of respectable
Noun
  • Mandell’s wife, Elizabeth Heller Mandell, a gallery owner, nonprofit consultant and arts patron from a prominent California family, predeceased him, leaving him in a position to extend her philanthropic work.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • James Reeve, a Saudi macro consultant who formerly worked as a senior director for the Saudi Public Investment Fund, told me that foreign investments already made in Saudi are unlikely to be reversed in the near term.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of consultant
Adjective
  • The partnership combines Skydio’s X10D drone with L3Harris radios and specialized waveforms designed to protect command links in contested environments.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors say the defendants used specialized equipment and drones to reach high locations and record their activities.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of specialized
Adjective
  • This has been a businesslike locker room at both the facility and postgame on the road.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • With its low heel, rounded toe, and high vamp—plus its vibrant bubblegum hue—the shoe offered a touch of ’80s glam to her otherwise businesslike look.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of businesslike

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Professional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professional. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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