professions

Noun

profession (plural professions)

1. A promise or vow made on entering a religious order.
   • She died only a few years after her profession.
2. The declaration of belief in the principles of a religion; hence, one's faith or religion.
   • I congratulate you upon the wisdom that withheld you from entering yourself a member of the Protestant Association […] it is likely to bring an odium upon the profession they make, that will not soon be forgotten.1780, William Cowper, letter, 12 June
3. Any declaration of belief, faith or one's opinion, whether genuine or (as now often implied) pretended.
   • Despite his continued professions of innocence, the court eventually sentenced him to five years.
4. An occupation, trade, craft, or activity in which one has a professed expertise in a particular area; a job, especially one requiring a high level of skill or training.
   • My father was a barrister by profession.
5. (collective) The practitioners of such an occupation collectively.
   • His conduct is against the established practices of the legal profession.