Meaning & use
unprofessional
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Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Falling below the standards of behavior or care that a job or profession demands.
Grammar: Can follow a linking verb or come before a noun: it was unprofessional; unprofessional conduct.
Patterns
- it is unprofessional to do something
- unprofessional of someone
It was unprofessional of the waiter to argue with a customer.
Arriving an hour late to a client meeting looks unprofessional.
The manager criticized her unprofessional email.
adjectivecomparable
Badly done, as if by someone untrained, or not skillful enough for a paid job.
Grammar: Describes work or results: an unprofessional paint job.
Patterns
- unprofessional work
The wiring was so unprofessional that an electrician refused to touch it.
His unprofessional editing left the video full of mistakes.
The brochure looked unprofessional, with crooked photos and typos.
Word forms
| comparative | more unprofessional |
|---|---|
| superlative | most unprofessional |
Common combinations
- unprofessional behavior
- The board investigated claims of unprofessional behavior.
- unprofessional conduct
- He was dismissed for unprofessional conduct.
- seem unprofessional
- Arriving without a plan will seem unprofessional.
- highly unprofessional
- Texting during an interview is highly unprofessional.
- an unprofessional manner
- She replied in an unprofessional manner.
Synonyms and how they differ
- improper
- Improper is broader and means not suitable in any setting, while unprofessional is specific to work standards.
- amateurish
- Amateurish stresses clumsy, untrained quality, while unprofessional can describe bad behavior too.
- unethical
- Unethical means morally wrong, which is more serious than unprofessional.
- sloppy
- Sloppy suggests carelessness in the details of the work and is more informal.
Opposites
Word family
- profession noun
- An occupation that requires special training.
- professional adjective
- Meeting the standards of a skilled worker.
- professionalism noun
- Skill and good conduct at work.
- unprofessionally adverb
- In a way that does not meet professional standards.
Commonly confused: unprofessional or nonprofessional?
unprofessional vs nonprofessional
Nonprofessional simply means not doing something as a paid job, while unprofessional is a criticism of standards.
Practice
The doctor was criticized for discussing a patient's case in a crowded elevator. Which word best describes his behavior?
Choose one answer.
Unprofessional criticizes behavior that falls below job standards. Nonprofessional means not paid for the activity, and the other two describe stages or levels of career status.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unprofessional”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.