Added 9 October 2026
professor
/pɹəˈfɛs.ə/ noun
In Latin: professor, profestrīx Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about professor at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The most senior rank for an academic at a university or similar institution.
- A teacher or faculty member at a college or university regardless of formal rank.
- One who professes something, such as a religious doctrine.
Origin
From Middle English professor, professour, from Anglo-Norman proffessur and its etymon Latin professor (“declarer, person who claims knowledge”), from the past participle stem of profiteor (“profess”). By surface analysis, profess + -or.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)