professional

noun [C]

/prəˈfeʃ.ən.əl/

Definition

C1 a person who has the type of job that needs a high level of education and training: health professionals → Compare amateur adjectiveEmployment status and types of work › informal someone who has worked hard in the same type of job for a long time and has become skilled at dealing with any problem that might happen: I thought the whole meeting was going to fall apart but you rescued it like a true professional! the consummate professionalEmployment status and types of work B2 a person who does a job that people usually do as a hobby: He's only been playing football as a professional for two years.Employment status and types of work › a person who plays sport, especially a golf or tennis player, who is employed by a club to train its members in a particular sportCompetitors and participants in sports and games

(Definition of professional noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)