profess
to lay claim to, often insincerely; pretend to: He professed extreme regret.
to declare openly; announce or affirm; avow or acknowledge: to profess one's satisfaction.
to affirm faith in or allegiance to (a religion, God, etc.).
to declare oneself skilled or expert in; claim to have knowledge of; make (a thing) one's profession or business.
to teach as a professor: She professes comparative literature.
to receive or admit into a religious order.
to make a profession, avowal, or declaration.
to take the vows of a religious order.
Origin of profess
1Other words for profess
Other words from profess
- pre·pro·fess, verb (used with object)
- un·pro·fess·ing, adjective
Words Nearby profess
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use profess in a sentence
Meanwhile, other Republicans who may be key to finding sufficient support for the Equality Act, professed to be unaware of the legislation when asked by the Blade.
Sen. Collins won’t co-sponsor Equality Act, laments ‘revision’ not made | Chris Johnson | February 23, 2021 | Washington BladeAgain and again, he called out the gap between Northerners’ professed anti-racism and their unwillingness to see, let alone address, deep inequalities at home.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s challenge to liberal allies — and why it resonates today | Jeanne Theoharis | February 8, 2021 | Washington PostOn the one hand we have proudly professed the great principles of democracy, but on the other hand we have sadly practiced the very opposite of those principles.
How One Atlanta Church Impacted Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights Movement and Incoming Sen. Raphael Warnock | Olivia B. Waxman | January 14, 2021 | TimeLevchin professes not to be worried about such challenges, noting that any company in a thriving market will face competitors and price pressures.
Affirm hits $100 on opening day after listing at $49 (Updated) | Jeff Roberts | January 13, 2021 | FortuneYou might think it odd that the hardcore Make America Great Again crowd would damage a beloved symbol of the country they profess to support.
The Capitol mob images shouldn’t surprise you. Open insurrection was always where we were headed. | Philip Kennicott | January 6, 2021 | Washington Post
Then one daring, possibly planted, spectator interrupted the show to profess her crush.
The Bachelor Farmville: No One Wants to Watch Chris Soules Plant His Seed | Brandy Zadrozny | August 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTo them, a politician is supposed to play it safe and profess as his goals only those things that are potentially attainable.
Those who profess to know him well, display dismay that he could have such an extraordinary lapse in discipline and control.
Petraeus Affair Stereotypes: The General, The Flirt And The Harlot | Robin Givhan | November 15, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTSimilarly, the thirty-nine framers at Philadelphia were allowed to profess their faith even in the public square.
The Constitution and the Candidates: Race, Religion, Romney, and Ryan | Akhil Reed Amar | August 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTBut will his poetic voice that you profess to love so much change now that his political voice has?
The view of riches which socialists and suchlike people profess to take is entirely ill-considered.
First Plays | A. A. MilneConsidering that Maude did not profess to love her husband very much, it was astonishing how keenly she felt this.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry WoodDo not believe this; be certain that those who profess such a doctrine are practising themselves the deceit they condemn so much.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyI don't profess to know anything about business, but I flatter myself that I understand my fellow men.
First Plays | A. A. MilneMr. Low, "they say, will profess attachment to the cause of liberty, but his sincerity is doubted."
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl Becker
British Dictionary definitions for profess
/ (prəˈfɛs) /
to affirm or announce (something, such as faith); acknowledge: to profess ignorance; to profess a belief in God
(tr) to claim (something, such as a feeling or skill, or to be or do something), often insincerely or falsely: to profess to be a skilled driver
to receive or be received into a religious order, as by taking vows
Origin of profess
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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