Etymologically
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unprofessional

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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˌʌnprəˈfeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/, /ˌʌmprəˈfeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/[1]
  • US: /ˌʌnprəˈfeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + professional.[2][3][4][5] Professional is from profession and -al,[2] and was used of the profession of religious orders from the mid-15th century and of careers from 1747.[3] That noun goes back to Latin professiō (“public declaration”), from profiteor (“to declare openly”).[3] Etymonline notes the earlier unprofessed, used from the early 15th century of a monk or nun who had not yet taken vows.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Both adjective senses, contrary to the standards of a profession and not belonging to a profession, are first recorded in 1770, in Another Letter to Mr Almon.[2][6] Etymonline dates "not having or claiming a profession" to 1771 and the sense of conduct unbecoming a profession to 1780,[3] the first OED dated the word to 1806,[7] and Dictionary.com to 1800–10.[5]

Semantic evolution

The word follows the rise of professional as a word for careers and the learned trades in the 18th century.[3] The sense "falling short of the standards expected in a profession" has come to be used especially of improper or inappropriate behaviour at work.[2][8] The noun, a person who is not a professional or not of the professional classes, is recorded from 1830,[2] and by 1863 in Etymonline.[3] The noun unprofessionalism dates from 1893.[2]

Timeline

  • 1770 – contrary to professional standards; not belonging to a profession.[2][6] Etymonline dates these senses to 1771 and 1780.[3]
  • 1830 – noun, a person who is not a professional.[2]
  • 1893 – unprofessionalism.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Not in keeping with the standards or code of conduct of a profession; improper in a professional setting: It was unprofessional of the doctor to discuss the case in the corridor.[8][6][2]
  2. Not belonging to a profession, or lacking its qualifications; amateur.[8][6][2]

Noun

  1. A person who is not a professional.[2][4]

Word family

  • unprofessionalism
  • unprofessionally

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins