profess

verb

pro·​fess prə-ˈfes 

prō-

professed; professing; professes

transitive verb

1

: to receive formally into a religious community following a novitiate by acceptance of the required vows

2

a

: to declare or admit openly or freely : affirm

b

: to declare in words or appearances only : pretend, claim

3

: to confess one's faith in or allegiance to

4

a

: to practice or claim to be versed in (a calling or profession)

b

: to teach as a professor

intransitive verb

1

: to make a profession or avowal

2

obsolete : to profess friendship

Synonyms of profess

• pretend
• assume
• simulate

Examples of profess in a Sentence

He professes confidence in his friend.

They profess loyalty to the king.

Recent Examples on the Web

The exhibit, which professes to illustrate storytelling through art in its earliest manifestations, is a jarring introduction to a museum that houses 1,300 original works. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

The designer, who was hailed as a visionary in the industry throughout the ‘90s and early ‘00s, sparked outrage in 2011 following multiple antisemitic and racist incidents, including professing his love for Hitler at a restaurant in Paris. — Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

El-Sayed and Piker have professed their abhorrence of anti-Semitism. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

There certainly may be a kernel of truth to Musk’s professed safety concerns, but plowing through bollards that are explitly designed to protect pedestrians from rogue drivers isn’t helping his case. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

in sense 1, from Middle English, from profes, adjective, having professed one's vows, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin professus, from Latin, past participle of profitēri to profess, confess, from pro- before + fatēri to acknowledge; in other senses, from Latin professus, past participle — more at confess

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for profess

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess

Kids Definition

profess

verb

pro·​fess prə-ˈfes 

1

: to declare openly or freely

profess confidence in a friend

2

: pretend entry 1 sense 1, claim

professed to be our friends