The notion of a professional can be traced to medieval European guilds, most of which died off by the middle of the nineteenth century, except the scholars guild or university. 1 day ago · The meaning of PROFESSIONAL is of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession. How to use professional in a sentence. Professional also means having the qualities of skilled and educated people, such as effectiveness and seriousness of manner: PROFESSIONAL definition: following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain. See examples of professional used in a sentence. When an athlete "goes pro," she goes professional –-she is paid for her service rather than doing it on an amateur basis. Other professionals, including doctors and lawyers, are also paid for their work, which, … 1. following an occupation as a means of livelihood. pertaining to a profession. appropriate to a profession: professional objectivity. engaged in one of the learned professions, as law or medicine. … Professional means relating to a person's work, especially work that requires special training. His professional career started at Colgate University. Nov 29, 2025 · Under changes proposed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, “professional degrees” have been redefined to exclude degrees in nursing, public health, physical therapy and more.