profess

To profess is to declare something, often out loud.

(verb)

See profess in Webster's New World College Dictionary

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
Origin: ME professen < profes, professed < L professus
to accept into a religious order

Origin: < L professus, pp. of profiteri, to avow publicly < pro-, before (see pro-) + fateri, to avow, akin to fari, to speak: see fable

intransitive verb

See profess in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb pro·fessed, pro·fess·ing, pro·fess·es

verb, transitive

To affirm openly; declare or claim: “a physics major [who] professes to be a stickler when it comes to data” (Gina Maranto).
To make a pretense of; pretend: “top officials who were deeply involved with the arms sales but later professed ignorance of them” (David Johnston).
a. To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of: profess medicine.
b. To teach (a subject) as a professor: profess literature.
To affirm belief in: profess Catholicism.
To receive into a religious order or congregation.