professed

American  

[pruh-fest] / prəˈfɛst /

adjective

1. avowed; acknowledged.

2. professing to be qualified; professional, rather than amateur.

3. having taken the vows of, or been received into, a religious order.

4. alleged; pretended.

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professed British  

/ prəˈfɛsɪdlɪ, prəˈfɛst /

adjective

1. avowed or acknowledged

2. alleged or pretended

3. professing to be qualified as

   a professed philosopher

4. having taken vows of a religious order

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Other Word Forms

• half-professed adjective
• nonprofessed adjective
• professedly adverb
• self-professed adjective
• unprofessed adjective

Etymology

Origin of professed

1300–50; Middle English (in religious sense) < Medieval Latin profess ( us ) (special use of Latin professus, past participle of profitērī to declare publicly, equivalent to pro- pro- ¹ + -fet-, combining form of fatērī to acknowledge + -tus past participle suffix, with tt > ss ) + -ed ²

Example Sentences

His other passions included football, the tango and the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, a city he professed to love "more than any place else".

From BBC

Growing up, I was surrounded by revolutionary ideas, banned books and family and friends who professed socialist, nationalist and religious beliefs, or even a mix of these seemingly contradictory ideologies.

From The Wall Street Journal

During the interview with Radio 1 presenter Jack Saunders, the singer professed her love for the video game and asked the developers: "Please give me a skin, please".

From BBC

Many observers have professed confusion over how Good, an unarmed person, can somehow be seen as a mortal threat.

From Salon

How much of his professed love of lonely living is an act to cover those growls?

From Literature

Related Words

• stated