learned profession
- noun
- /ˈlɜrnɪd prəˈfɛʃən/
- Formal
:
profesión liberal
- Many people admire the ethical standards upheld by a learned profession such as law or medicine.
Examples
-
Training in the arts of logic and dialectic and in the reading and interpretation of classical and Christian texts was undertaken for the sake of forming and preparing the young for the learned professions of law, medicine, and divinity.
Academic text (1993) -
For the first time in history, women entered a learned profession.
Academic text (2002) -
Sharing knowledge is one of the hallmarks of a learned profession.
Blog text (29) -
Licensing every human commercial activity as a learned profession is a trick played since the late 1950s to get money for relatives and supporters of the politicians, shutting out the working poor from competing with the middle class who vote.
Blog text (30) -
" Ultimately, however, the Foundation—and the support we receive—is built on a faith inherent in the idea of a learned profession, that better information leads to a better legal system and a better society."
Academic text (1999) -
Thomas Jefferson long entertained the hope that Virginia "would take up the subject of education, and make an establishment... where every branch of science... should be taught in the highest degree." He proposed a scheme of general education for those "destined for learned professions" or "to share in conducting the affairs of the nation."
Academic text (1990) -
"The way you handled yourself in general made clear that this was a distinguished profession, rather than the usual business," Linowitz says. "As a member of a learned profession, members of the bar adhered to certain standards of civility and decorous conduct."
Academic text (1995) -
She chose to pursue a learned profession because she valued advanced education and specialized knowledge.
-
As a member of a learned profession, he felt a strong responsibility to contribute positively to society.
How Specialized
- US
70
5.4
- Formal
229
3.0
142
3.0
25
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a profession requiring advanced education and specialized knowledge' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'learned' (scholarly, well-educated) with 'profession' (an occupation requiring specialized training). This adjective‑noun composition follows regular English semantic modification and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Learned profession shows its parts: learned meaning 'well educated' and profession meaning 'a skilled job'. So it means a job, like law or medicine, that needs long study and special knowledge.