variants also metier
Definition of métiernext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun métier differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of métier are business, calling, employment, occupation, pursuit, and work. While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

When would business be a good substitute for métier?

The synonyms business and métier are sometimes interchangeable, but business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

When is calling a more appropriate choice than métier?

The meanings of calling and métier largely overlap; however, calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

Where would employment be a reasonable alternative to métier?

While in some cases nearly identical to métier, employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

In what contexts can occupation take the place of métier?

While the synonyms occupation and métier are close in meaning, occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

When is it sensible to use pursuit instead of métier?

The words pursuit and métier are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

When might work be a better fit than métier?

In some situations, the words work and métier are roughly equivalent. However, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of métier That store, which is also two stories and offers all 16 metiers, is inspired by the local Sonoran Desert and pays homage to the sunlight and succulents prevalent in the area. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025 Much like Catastrophe, Derry Girls combines irreverent farce with weightier issues that sometimes take you by surprise but never betray the series’ light-hearted metier. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026 Turning from his father’s trade of corset-making, Paine tried his hand at business, met and impressed Benjamin Franklin in London, sailed to America, and there found his true metier as a pamphleteer and radical. Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025 Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Rencontre Céleste Van Cleef is among the most romantic practitioners of the metiers, harnessing enameling, engraving and gemsetting to depict celestial dreamscapes and amorous rendezvous. Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for métier
Recent Examples of Synonyms for métier
Noun
  • Costs are rising due to hospital and doctor bills, and prescription drug spending is higher, in part, due to the popularity of GLP-1 anti-obesity drugs and specialty drugs to treat medical conditions such as cancer.
    Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • The upper floor houses a food hall selling local specialties like lampredotto (tripe sandwiches) and schiacciata (a Tuscan flatbread).
    Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • One of the most concerning things about the situation is that someone left such an explosive just lying around.
    Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • But working and maintainable are not the same thing, which is where companies start making very expensive mistakes.
    Oleg Lola, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • The Ellisons' story highlights a bigger problem for this on Atlanta's south side - access to emergency and speciality care, one that has increased since the closure of Atlanta Medical Center South in East Point.
    Nakell Williams, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • As the authors indicate, these opportunities are already being leveraged in some of the most critical specialities, including across psychiatry, cardiology, oncology, and infectious diseases.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Métier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/m%C3%A9tier. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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