profession means A declaration of faith.; A promise or vow made on entering a religious order. It carries an Arena rating of 1493, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, profession ranks #955 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #965 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #6,607 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #7,288 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
profession is pronounced /pɹəˈfɛʃ.ən/.
Why “profession” is a great word
A paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification. From Old French profession, from Latin professionem (nominative professio), meaning 'public declaration, avowal', from the verb profiteri ('to declare publicly, profess'), itself from pro- ('forth') and fateri ('to acknowledge, confess'); first attested in English c. 1200 referring to religious vows. Unlike 'occupation,' a neutral term for any paid work, or 'vocation,' which suggests an inward, often spiritual calling, a profession carries the weight of public witness and earned credential. It is the sheepskin diploma framed behind mahogany, the crisp starch of a nurse's uniform, the briefcase snapped open at dawn—a covenant made aloud, a life signed, sealed, and witnessed by society.
Etymology
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.
noun
- A declaration of faith.; A promise or vow made on entering a religious order.e.g.“She died only a few years after her profession.”
- A declaration of faith.; The declaration of belief in the principles of a religion; hence, one's faith or religion.
- A declaration of faith.; Any declaration of belief, faith or one's opinion, whether genuine or (as now often implied) pretended.e.g.“Despite his continued professions of innocence, the court eventually sentenced him to five years.”
- A professional occupation.; An occupation, trade, craft, or activity in which one has a professed expertise in a particular area; a job, especially one requiring a high level of skill or training.e.g.“My father was a barrister by profession.”
- A professional occupation.; The practitioners of such an occupation collectively.e.g.“His conduct is against the established practices of the legal profession.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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