Professions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Careers or jobs that individuals undertake for income, often necessitating specialized training or education
2. Distinct fields or trades positions held by workers requiring expertise and particular skills to perform effectively
3. Various categories of work that demand particular abilities or formal instruction

Etymology: "Professions" is the plural of "profession," so the plural adds nothing new. The singular came into English in the Middle Ages from Old French "profession," which goes back to Latin "professio," a public declaration. The Latin verb "profiteri" meant "to declare openly," from "pro-" ("forth") and "fateri" ("to confess"). For centuries the main sense was religious: to "profess" was to take public monastic vows, and a person who had done so was a professed member of a religious order. The shift to paid work came later. The "learned professions" of divinity, law, and medicine, the callings that required university training and a formal public admission, gave the modern meaning its shape, and the sense of an occupation followed from there.

Synonyms: occupations, vocations