Meaning & use
consummate professional
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseapproving
Someone who does their job with complete skill, reliability and calm good manners, whatever the circumstances.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase, usually after an or the: she is a consummate professional.
Patterns
- be a consummate professional
- a consummate professional at something
Even when the microphone failed, the host stayed a consummate professional.
The surgeon was a consummate professional, calm throughout the emergency.
Our new editor is a consummate professional who never misses a deadline.
Word forms
| plural | consummate professionals |
|---|
Common combinations
- a true consummate professional
- He proved himself a true consummate professional under pressure.
- act like a consummate professional
- She acted like a consummate professional despite the insults.
- remain a consummate professional
- The actor remained a consummate professional on a chaotic set.
- described as a consummate professional
- Colleagues described him as a consummate professional.
- the consummate professional
- The coach is the consummate professional of his generation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- expert
- Expert only says someone knows a lot, while consummate professional also praises their conduct and reliability.
- pro
- Pro is an informal short form that suggests competence, but it is less formal than consummate professional.
- master
- Master stresses the highest level of skill in a craft, not behavior at work.
- virtuoso
- Virtuoso is for dazzling skill, typically in art or music, rather than steady professionalism.
Opposites
Word family
- consummate adjective
- perfect or supremely skilled
- consummately adverb
- in a completely skilled way
- professional adjective
- relating to a skilled job
- professionalism noun
- skilled, responsible behavior at work
Commonly confused: consummate professional or consummate (verb)?
consummate professional vs consummate (verb)
The verb consummate means to complete, especially a marriage or deal, and is pronounced with a stress on the last syllable, unlike the adjective here.
Practice
Why might a coworker be called a consummate professional?
Choose one answer.
The phrase praises complete skill and composure at work. Lateness, part-time status and being new do not carry that meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “consummate professional”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.