professional

1 adjective

1 JOB (only before noun, no comparative) connected with a job that needs special education and training: What professional qualifications does he have? | on the basis of professional advice

2 WELL TRAINED showing that someone has been well trained and is good at their work: This business plan looks very professional. | a more professional approach to work

3 PAID (no comparative) doing a job, sport or activity for money: a professional tennis player | a professional army | turn professional (=start to do something as a job)

—compare amateur 1 (1)

4 TEAM/EVENT (no comparative) done by or connected with people who are paid: Jim's the manager of a professional hockey team. | The golf tournament is a professional event.

—compare amateur 1 (1)

5 professional person/man/woman etc someone who works in a profession, or who has an important position in a company or business: We'd prefer to rent the house to a professional couple.

6 a professional liar/complainer etc humorous someone who lies or complains too much

7 professional foul BrE a foul (=a rule broken in a sport) done deliberately to gain some advantage

2 noun (C)

1 someone who earns money by doing a job, sport, or activity that many other people do just for enjoyment: Hurd signed as a professional in 1978.

—compare amateur 2

2 someone who works in a job that requires special education and training: the relationship between health professionals and patients

3 someone who has a lot of experience and does something very skilfully: You read that like a real professional.

4 tennis/golf/swimming etc professional someone who is very good at a sport and is employed by a private club to teach its members