profess
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pro·fess (prō fes′, prə-)
transitive verb
- to make an open declaration of; affirm to profess one's love
- to claim to have (some feeling, an interest, knowledge, etc.): often connoting insincerity or pretense
- to practice as one's profession
- to declare one's belief in to profess Christianity
Etymology: ME professen < profes, professed < L professus
to accept into a religious order
Etymology: < L professus, pp. of profiteri, to avow publicly < pro-, before (see pro-) + fateri, to avow, akin to fari, to speak: see fable
intransitive verb
- to make profession, or affirmation
- to make one's profession (sense )
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Object
- godliness: How rare is the exercise of the Psalmist among those who profess godliness!
Used with why or when
- what: It is also bad for people to profess what they do not believe.
Infinitive complement
- despise: The Power which you profess to despise has sent it to me.
Modifying Another Word
- openly: The God of Jacob hath openly professed we shall not seek him in vain, Isa. xlv.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
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MLA Style
"profess." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/profess>
APA Style
profess. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/profess
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