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

• act
• affect
• assume
• bluff
• counterfeit
• dissemble
• fake
• feign
• pass (for)
• pretend
• put on
• sham
• simulate

Examples of profess in a Sentence

He professes confidence in his friend.

They profess loyalty to the king.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beshear appears to be keeping his options open, professing his loyalty to Biden as the party’s nominee while not rejecting the possibility of a run for higher office should Biden step aside. —Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 18 July 2024

Trump and Putin professed a fondness for one another during the U.S. president’s first term—often garnering bipartisan criticism. —Jennifer Jacobs and Alberto Nardelli / Bloomberg, TIME, 11 July 2024

Afterward, those governors professed their loyalty to Biden. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 4 July 2024

Yes, finally, after all of this back and forth, Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) professed her love to Nathan. —Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 23 June 2024

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

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