[pro.fes.sion] n [ME professioun, fr. OF profession, fr. LL & L; LL profession-, professio, fr. L, public declaration, fr. profiteri] (13c) 1: the act of taking the vows of a religious community
2: an act of openly declaring or publicly claiming a belief, faith, or opinion: protestation
3: an avowed religious faith
4. a: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation b: a principal calling, vocation, or employment c: the whole body of persons engaged in a calling