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

But listen to those lyrics, which also land differently in a modern context — especially when thinking about how the Bible nowadays is too often used to justify hate instead of the love Jesus professed. —Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025

You might feel called to profess your love, take next steps in your relationship, or start building your dream life in some actionable way. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025

The godmother always offers introductory remarks and Jolie maximized her time by professing a love for international cinema while staying true to her humanitarian activism and calling attention to tragic stories of women who lost their lives amid war and conflict abroad. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025

Simpson had always professed innocence but was later found liable for the deaths in a separate civil case, and subsequently served nine years in prison on unrelated charges. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 May 2025

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