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noun B1 Intermediate Very common

career

kuh-REER
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Career (noun) means the series of jobs a person has over the course of their working life, especially in one field. Example: “After a varied career in hospitals, she now teaches nursing students.”

noun
1
The series of jobs a person has over the course of their working life, especially in one field.
"After a varied career in hospitals, she now teaches nursing students."
"She built a long career in journalism."
"He switched careers in his forties to become a teacher."
verb
1
To move fast and out of control, often in a dangerous or reckless way.
"The out-of-control lorry careered across the road and into a hedge."
"The runaway cart careered down the hill."
"The car careered off the road after hitting a patch of ice."
adjective
1
Doing something as a long-term profession rather than casually.
"As a career soldier, he expected to serve until he retired."
"He was a career diplomat, not a political appointee."
"She described him as a career criminal."

How to use career

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishYour ongoing working life in a particular profession, or (as a verb) moving wildly out of control.

Common mistake

The verb sense ("careered off the road") is unrelated in feel to the noun ("career in medicine") even though it comes from the same racecourse root — don't assume they always connect in meaning.

Easily confused with
job →
Common pairings
career path build a career career change careered down the street
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Word forms

Plural
careers
Third person singular
careers
Past tense
careered
Test yourself on “career” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

After a varied _____ in hospitals, she now teaches nursing students.

Etymology

From French carrière ("racecourse, road"), from Italian carriera, ultimately from Latin carrus ("wheeled vehicle") — the racecourse sense came first, and "career" only later broadened to mean someone's whole working path, as if running a long track through life.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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profession occupation vocation line of work calling career path life history

Related words

work business line job voice calling employment visiting

Rhymes for career

beer deer peer leer veer seer heer queer steer sneer cheer sheer
See all rhymes for career →

Frequently asked questions

What does “career” mean?
The word “career” means the series of jobs a person has over the course of their working life, especially in one field. In plain terms, your ongoing working life in a particular profession, or (as a verb) moving wildly out of control.
How do you pronounce “career”?
“Career” is pronounced kuh-REER (/kəˈɹɪɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “career” in a sentence?
Here is “career” used in a sentence: “She built a long career in journalism.”
What part of speech is “career”?
Depending on how it is used, “career” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.
Where does the word “career” come from?
The word “career” comes from Latin.
Is “career” a common word?
“Career” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “career” have?
“Career” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the series of jobs a person has over the course of their working life, especially in one field.
What is the difference between a career and a job?
A job is a single paid position you hold, often for a limited time. A career is the long-term path made up of all your jobs, skills and progress over your working life, usually within one field. Put simply, you have many jobs, but they add up to one career.
What is the difference between a career and a profession?
A profession is a particular kind of work that requires specialist training or qualifications, such as law, medicine or accountancy. A career is your overall journey through working life. A profession can form the basis of a career, but many careers are built in fields that aren't formal professions at all.
Can you have more than one career?
Yes. Changing careers is increasingly common — people retrain, switch industries or follow new interests partway through their working lives. Someone might spend years in teaching and then move into software, giving them two distinct careers. A single working life can easily contain several different career paths.
What are some examples of careers?
A career can form in almost any field: teaching, nursing, engineering, law, marketing, plumbing, accountancy or the arts. What makes it a career rather than a job is the long-term progression — building skills, experience and seniority within that area over many years.

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