professor
Americannoun
-
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.
-
any teacher who has the rank of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor.
-
a teacher.
-
an instructor in some art or skilled sport.
a professor of singing; a professor of boxing.
-
a person who professes or declares particular sentiments, beliefs, etc.
noun
-
the principal lecturer or teacher in a field of learning at a university or college; a holder of a university chair
-
any teacher in a university or college See also associate professor assistant professor full professor
-
a person who claims skill and instructs others in some sport, occupation, etc
-
a person who professes his opinions, beliefs, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of professor
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
Explanation
A professor is someone who teaches at a college or university. Professor is officially a teacher of the highest rank, above adjuncts and lecturers, but college students can call them all professor. The Latin origin of the word means “declare publicly,” and professors are responsible for publicly sharing their knowledge with the world, or at least with whoever can afford to pay them for lessons. Although anyone teaching college can be called a professor, it’s really a title that has to be earned by going to graduate school and moving up by being an assistant professor, then associate professor, and finally a full professor.
Vocabulary lists containing professor
The Vocabulary of College
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Occupations
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Indiana Jones Vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In this case it will not necessarily be clear how the judges come to a total sentence, explains May-Len Skilbrei, professor of criminology at the University of Oslo.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
Bazer is still working as a full professor at Texas A&M University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences and tax law doesn’t require him to take RMDs until he retires later this year.
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
Zoe Cullen, associate professor of business administration at Harvard University, found that U.S. technology workers were willing to accept a 25% pay cut for partly or fully remote roles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
Cook, who also serves as an adjunct assistant professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, said the findings challenge common assumptions about aging and cognition.
From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026
In a voice reflecting doubt, fear, and an unmistakable desire to be loved, I sounded not like a thoughtful college professor but, rather, like a high-strung twelve-year-old girl; someone named Brittany.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
