The following of a profession, sport, etc., as an occupation; -- opposed to amateurism.
A commitment to gaining and maintaining knowledge and skills in a particular field, and to using that knowledge and those skills to provide the highest-quality services possible
of or done by professional standards; the skill, competence, or character expected of a member of a highly trained profession.
1 The body of qualities or features, as competence, skill, etc., 2 Engagement in an occupation (The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1993)
the process by which given occupations become professions, in the sense of attaining professional status. The emphasis here is on the strategies occupations adopt (e.g. competing with rival professional groups, or developing powerful professional associations) rather than whether they possess the traits or features that correspond with some model of a profession.
The standing, practice, or methods of a professional, as distinguished from and amateur.