Standard Lemma guide

unprofessional

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N P R AH0 F EH1 SH AH0 N AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Unbecoming of a professional; hence inappropriate in the workplace.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • unprofessional behavior

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Lacking a profession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not relating to professional occupation or employment; nonprofessional.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

One who is not a professional.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not characteristic of or befitting a profession or one engaged in a profession

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • described in unprofessional language so that high school students could understand it
  • was censured for unprofessional conduct
  • unprofessional repairs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: professional

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English professional English unprofessional From un- + professional.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: neprofesionální — unbecoming of a professional
  • Danish: uprofessionel — unbecoming of a professional
  • French: non-professionnel — unbecoming of a professional
  • Georgian: არაპროფესიონალური (araṗropesionaluri) — unbecoming of a professional
  • German: unprofessionell — unbecoming of a professional
  • Ancient Greek: ἰδιωτικός (idiōtikós) — unbecoming of a professional
  • Hungarian: szakmaiatlan — unbecoming of a professional
  • Kazakh: кәсіби емес (käsıbi emes) — unbecoming of a professional
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uprofesjonell — unbecoming of a professional
  • Norwegian Bokmål: amatørmessig — unbecoming of a professional
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: uprofesjonell — unbecoming of a professional
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: amatørmessig — unbecoming of a professional
  • Polish: nieprofesjonalny — unbecoming of a professional
  • Slovak: neprofesionálny — unbecoming of a professional
  • Slovak: neodborný — unbecoming of a professional
  • Swedish: oprofessionell — unbecoming of a professional
  • Swedish: amatörmässig — unbecoming of a professional
Real reading context

unprofessional in complete knowledge articles