A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the public interest. In the United States, such an association is typically a nonprofit business league for tax purposes.^[1] In the UK, they may take a variety of legal forms.^[2]

The roles of professional associations have been variously defined: “A group of people in a learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation;”^[3] also a body acting “to safeguard the public interest;”^[4] organizations which “represent the interest of the professional practitioners,” and so “act to maintain their own privileged and powerful position as a controlling body.”^[4] Professional associations are ill defined although often have commonality in purpose and activities.^[5] In the UK the Science Council defines a professional body as “an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation”.^[6] The Quality Assurance Agency distinguishes between statutory bodies and regulators that “have powers mandated by Parliament to regulate a profession or group of professions and protect the use of professional titles” and professional bodies that “are independent membership organisations that oversee the activities of a particular profession and represent the interests of [their] members” and which “may offer registration or certification of unregulated occupations on a voluntary basis.”^[7]

Many professional bodies are involved in accrediting degrees, defining and examining the skills and competencies necessary to practice, and granting professional certifications to indicate that a person is qualified in the subject area.^[8]

Many professional bodies also act as learned societies for the academic disciplines underlying their professions,^[1][9] such as the American Statistical Association.