career
career — noun
1. all of the jobs you hold in one field of work, commonly becoming more responsibl
all of the jobs you hold in one field of work, commonly becoming more responsible and skilled as time goes on — for example, a teacher's career might move from classroom teaching to running a school.
Dr. Okonkwo started his career as a nurse at a small village clinic.
career + as + role — specific job title
A career in engineering often requires years of study and practice.
After twenty years in the same company, Yara decided to change careers completely.
The university offers advice on career planning for first-year students.
Leila's career in journalism took her from a local newspaper to a national TV station.
- profession
more formal; often implies a regulated, trained occupation like law or medicine
- occupation
neutral, more general; the basic answer to 'what do you do?'
- vocation
suggests a strong calling or sense of purpose beyond pay
文法句型
possessive + career
career + in + field
career + as + role
常見錯誤
2. the entire period of a person's working life, from the first job to retirement —
the entire period of a person's working life, from the first job to retirement — for example, when someone says their career spanned forty years, they mean all those working years combined.
Throughout his career, Mr. Ogawa trained over three hundred young engineers.
throughout + possessive + career — time-span pattern
Injuries cut her dancing career short at the age of twenty-four.
The museum director spent most of her career working with ancient Asian art.
Aiko balanced her career and family life while studying for a second degree.
Senator Gonzalez's political career ended after the election loss, but he returned to teaching.
- working life
more literal and informal; simply means the years you spend working
- professional life
narrower — typically excludes casual or part-time jobs
文法句型
throughout + possessive + career
during + possessive + career
early/late + career
用法筆記
Often modified by a domain word (military career, acting career, political career) to specify which area of working life is being described.
3. the forward movement and increasing success in your professional life — for exam
the forward movement and increasing success in your professional life — for example, getting promotions, taking on bigger projects, and gaining influence in your field.
Young lawyers in the firm saw the merger as a chance to advance their careers.
advance + possessive + career — collocation for progress
Rashida turned down the transfer because it did not offer real career progress.
Taking on difficult projects early helped Diego make rapid career progress.
The training programme gave new employees a clear path for career growth.
Winning that award marked a high point in Beatriz's career development.
- advancement
more formal; focuses specifically on promotion and rising rank
- progression
neutral term for moving forward step by step; less about prestige than about sequence
- stagnation
the opposite of career progress — when nothing moves forward
文法句型
make + career + in
career + opportunity
advance + in + career
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (JOB PATH): sense 1 is about the sequence of jobs themselves; sense 3 is about upward movement and achievement within that sequence.
常見錯誤
career — adjective
1. describing a job position that is held by a trained professional and paid from p
describing a job position that is held by a trained professional and paid from public funds, rather than given as a political favour — used mainly for civil service roles that require expertise and are independent of which party is in power.
Britain has a career civil service whose members stay on when governments change.
career civil service — fixed term for non-political staff
A career diplomat must know several languages and understand different cultures.
The ambassador was a career officer who had never worked in politics.
Career judges in the country are chosen through a national exam, not by politicians.
Unlike elected officials, career administrators keep their jobs regardless of the ruling party.
- professional
broader — describes any paid work done by a trained person, not limited to government roles
- non-political
highlights the contrast with politically appointed positions
文法句型
career + noun
用法筆記
Only used before nouns referring to government or public-sector roles (diplomat, civil servant, judge, military officer). Not used for private-sector jobs.
2. doing something as a main paid activity for most or all of your life — for examp
doing something as a main paid activity for most or all of your life — for example, a career criminal is someone whose adult life has been spent breaking the law for money.
The police arrested a career criminal who had been stealing cars since he was a teenager.
career + criminal — set phrase for habitual offender
Hana was a career soldier who joined the army at eighteen and retired at fifty-five.
A career politician often loses touch with the daily struggles of ordinary families.
The film tells the story of a career thief who finally decides to quit.
Unlike his brothers who tried many jobs, Bao was a career taxi driver for forty years.
文法句型
career + noun (person type)
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2 (WORKING LIFE): the adjective modifies a person-type noun (criminal, soldier, politician, performer) to indicate lifelong dedication to that role as a source of income.
常見錯誤
career — verb
1. to move very fast in an uncontrolled way, especially a vehicle or person rushing
to move very fast in an uncontrolled way, especially a vehicle or person rushing downhill or off a road — for example, a bus that careers down a steep hill with failing brakes.
The horse lost its footing and careered wildly down the rocky hillside.
career + adverb of manner (wildly) + direction (down)
A truck careered off the icy motorway and hit a fence near the trees.
The runaway bus careered through the narrow streets of the old town.
In the movie, the car careers across the desert chased by police helicopters.
Two cyclists careered around the corner and nearly hit a street lamp.
文法句型
career + adverb/preposition of direction
用法筆記
In British English, 'career' (verb) is often confused by learners with 'career' (noun). The verb is usually used with a direction word (down, off, through, across). In American English the spelling 'careen' is more common for this meaning.