professor

[pruh-fes-er]

noun

1. a teacher of the highest academic rank in a college or university, who has been awarded the title Professor in a particular branch of learning; a full professor.

   a professor of Spanish literature.

2. any teacher who has the rank of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor.

3. a teacher.

4. an instructor in some art or skilled sport.

   a professor of singing; a professor of boxing.

5. a person who professes or declares particular sentiments, beliefs, etc.

professor

/ prəˈfɛsə, ˌprɒfɪˈsɔːrɪəl /

noun

1. the principal lecturer or teacher in a field of learning at a university or college; a holder of a university chair

2. any teacher in a university or college See also associate professor assistant professor full professor

3. a person who claims skill and instructs others in some sport, occupation, etc

4. a person who professes his opinions, beliefs, etc

Other Word Forms

• professorially adverb
• professorial adjective
• professorialism noun
• nonprofessorial adjective
• nonprofessorially adverb
• pseudoprofessorial adjective
• subprofessor noun
• unprofessorial adjective
• unprofessorially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of professor¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Medieval Latin prōfessor “one who has taken the vows of a religious order,” Latin: “a public lecturer,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + -fet-, combining form of fatērī “to acknowledge, declare” + -tor -tor, with tt becoming ss

Word History and Origins

Origin of professor¹

C14: from Medieval Latin: one who has made his profession in a religious order, from Latin: a public teacher; see _profess

Example Sentences

I wanted to feel like a professor in the woods, so we purchased a bunch of used books from the Last Bookstore and stacked them along a winding pathway and then covered them with moss.

From Los Angeles Times

The news organizations verified the data, including by soliciting input from professors at universities in Texas.

From Salon

A professor at Cal State Channel Island has been charged with assaulting U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Gerasimos Tsourapa, a professor of international relations at the University of Birmingham, describes the policy of outsourcing the asylum issue as a dramatic change for Europe.

From BBC

“China doesn’t gain anything by forming a bloc with North Korea,” Park, the professor, said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assistant 
• educator 
• faculty member www.thesaurus.com
• fellow 
• instructor 
• lecturer 
• principal 
• teacher 
• tutor