Basic Details
Word: Professional
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Doing a job for money after proper training, or doing work to a high standard; also used as a noun for such a person.
Synonyms: expert, skilled, trained, qualified
Antonyms: amateur, unskilled
How to Spell Professional
Syllables: pro - fes - sion - al
Tricky part: Like profession, it has one f and two s's. The ending is al, not el.
Watch out for: proffessional, profesional, professionel, proffesional
Memory tip: Get profession right, then tack on al. All the hard work is in the single f and the double s; the al is easy.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The wedding photos were taken by a professional, so every picture was sharp.
Example 2: He gave up his office job to become a professional cricketer.
Example 3: The nurse spoke to the worried parents in a calm, professional way.
Fun Fact
Many sports were once open only to amateurs. Tennis began its Open Era in 1968, when professionals were first allowed to play at Wimbledon.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
My cousin trained for six years before she became a profesional dancer, and now she performs in theatres across Europe and South America.
a) theatres
b) cousin
c) profesional
d) performs
Show answer
c) profesional. It keeps the ss of profession; one s is not enough.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word professional as used in the sentence:
The club hired a professional coach to train the junior team.
a) skilled
b) amateur
c) expert
d) trained
Show answer
b) amateur. Expert, skilled and trained all fit a professional; an amateur does it without pay or training.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Ask a sofenalispro electrician to check the old wiring before the festival.
a) provisional
b) confessional
c) processional
d) professional
Show answer
d) professional. Provisional has a v, and processional and confessional need a c; only professional matches.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A professional footballer is one who ____.
a) has never played a match
b) plays only on Sundays
c) is paid to play the game
d) watches games on TV
Show answer
c) is paid to play the game
2. Which behaviour is professional at work?
a) arriving on time and prepared
b) arguing with every customer
c) chatting on the phone all day
d) leaving tasks half done
Show answer
a) arriving on time and prepared
