# professional

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɹəˈfɛʃ.ə.nəl/ · frequency rank #953

## Definitions
1. A person who belongs to a profession.
2. A person who earns their living from a specified activity.
3. A prostitute.
4. A reputation known by name.
5. An expert.
6. One of four categories of sociologist propounded by Horowitz: a sociologist who is actively concerned with promoting the profession of sociology.

## Etymology
From Middle English professhennalle, professhynalle; equivalent to profession + -al.

## Easily confused with
- **professionals** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/professional-vs-professionals)
- **professionally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/professional-vs-professionally)
- **profession** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/profession-vs-professional)

## Common misspellings (16)
`porfessional`, `pprofessional`, `prfoessional`, `proefssional`, `profesional`, `profesisonal`, `professinoal`, `professioanl`, `professionall`, `professionla`, `professionnal`, `professoinal`, `proffessional`, `profsesional`, `prrofessional`, `rpofessional`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/professional