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

• 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

She was received by the religious community and took her religious name — Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt — in 1938 before professing her vows in 1945. —Shannon Ryan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Adcock professes to take safety seriously. —Billy Perrigo, Time, 9 Oct. 2025

Both organizations profess an unwavering commitment to liberty, but stand firmly on either side of a growing debate about book banning in America. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025

Watching your character confront Giuliano and attempt to profess her innocence once again was intense. —Giana Levy, Variety, 1 Oct. 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