profess

To profess is to declare something, often out loud.

(verb)

  1. An example of to profess is to tell someone you’ve loved them for many years.
  2. An example of to profess is tell a group that you’ve found religion.

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See profess in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

  1. to make an open declaration of; affirm: to profess one's love
  2. to claim to have (some feeling, an interest, knowledge, etc.): often connoting insincerity or pretense
  3. to practice as one's profession
  4. to declare one's belief in: to profess Christianity
  5. 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

  1. to make profession, or affirmation
  2. to make one's profession (sense )

See profess in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb pro·fessed, pro·fess·ing, pro·fess·es
verb, transitive
  1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: “a physics major [who] professes to be a stickler when it comes to data” (Gina Maranto).
  2. To make a pretense of; pretend: “top officials who were deeply involved with the arms sales but later professed ignorance of them” (David Johnston).
  3. a. To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of: profess medicine.
    b. To teach (a subject) as a professor: profess literature.
  4. To affirm belief in: profess Catholicism.
  5. To receive into a religious order or congregation.
verb, intransitive
  1. To make an open affirmation.
  2. To take the vows of a religious order or congregation.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English professen, to take vows

Origin: , from Old French profes, that has taken a religious vow (from Medieval Latin professus, avowed)

Origin: and from Medieval Latin professāre, to administer a vow

Origin: , both from Latin professus

Origin: , past participle of profitērī, to affirm openly

Origin: : pro-, forth; see pro-1

Origin: + fatērī, to acknowledge; see bhā-2 in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • pro·fessˈed·ly (-fĕsˈĭd-lē) adverb

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