Sports / B2

pr-uh-FESH-uh-nl/prəˈfeʃənl/

Professional is about a trained job, or high standards at work: professional advice, professional conduct, a professional athlete (paid). Amateur is the unpaid opposite in sport; unprofessional criticises behaviour. A professional is also a noun. Profession is already in the dictionary. In speech, proper / from a trained person is enough. Do not call a weekend hobby professional unless they are paid or qualified, and professional qualifications is a set HR phrase.

Meaning

Connected with a job that needs special training; also showing high standards of behaviour at work.

Examples

• “You need professional advice before you sign the contract.”
• “Get professional advice before you sign a deed, not a forum thread.”
• “His tone in the email was unprofessional, which is the conduct sense, not his job title.”

Good to know

professional advice / conduct; a professional (noun). Sport opposite: amateur. Criticism: unprofessional. Paid/qualified, not a hobby. Noun: profession.

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