Definition of "career" in English

noun

1. One’s calling in life; one's working occupation or profession, especially when pursued seriously and/or over a long period of time.

2. The course, evolution, and ongoing advancement of one's working life, especially in one particular field.

   • Washington’s career as a soldier
   • This scandal could ruin his career.
   • He regretted focusing on his career to the exclusion of his family.

3. The general course of one's action or conduct in life, or in a particular area of life.

4. (archaic) Speed.

5. A jouster's path during a joust.

6. (obsolete) A short gallop of a horse.

   • Such littleness damps the heat, and weakens the force of genius; as we check a horse in his career, and rein him in when we want him to amble

7. (falconry) The flight of a hawk.

8. (obsolete) A racecourse; the ground run over.

verb

1. To move rapidly straight ahead, especially in an uncontrolled way.

   • The car careered down the road, missed the curve, and went through a hedge.

adjective

1. Doing something professionally, for a living (generally said of something that is not a commonplace job, e.g. criminal activity).

   • a career burglar

2. (loosely) Synonym of serial (“doing something regularly”).

   • a career rapist