professionally

adv

Etymology: Etymology tree English professional Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English professionally From professional + -ly.

1. As a professional; for one's paid career.

   “Steve Davis plays snooker professionally.”

2. In a professional manner.

   “You handled that customer's complaint very professionally.”

   “There is no precredit compassion expressed in “Side Street”: In place of Ray’s protective, implied narrator there is the professionally gruff voice of Paul Kelly, an actor who specialized in coldly professional New York City police detectives.”