professor
UK: prəˈfɛsə | US: prəˈfɛsər
n. a teacher of the highest academic rank in a college or university
n. a person who professes a particular subject or skill publicly
n. (informal) an expert or authority in a specific field
professor = pro<forward> + fess<speak> + or<agent noun suffix>
- pro<forward>: From Latin pro-, meaning "forward" or "in favor of."
- fess<speak>: From Latin fateri (past participle fassus), meaning "to confess" or "to declare openly."
- or<agent noun suffix>: From Latin -or, denoting a person who performs an action.
Etymology Origin:
The word professor originates from Latin profiteri ("to declare publicly"), combining pro- (forward) and fateri (to speak). It originally referred to someone who publicly declared expertise or taught a subject. Over time, it narrowed to denote high-ranking academic teachers, reflecting the role's formal declaration of knowledge.
She is a professor of physics at Harvard University.
The professor delivered an engaging lecture on medieval history.
He became a professor after years of research and teaching.
As a professor of law, she often contributes to legal journals.
The students asked the professor for advice on their projects.