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

He professed that Quantum Systems was “a leap ahead of its competition.”

From Barron's

To take a step back from this, every one of the people who gave evidence today professed huge support for the BBC.

From BBC

He demonstrated this in his announcement, in which he professed sadness over his decision and had nothing but kind words for other board members.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the region’s biggest military buildup since the 1980s, the U.S. has deployed some of its most battle-tested weaponry to the Caribbean under the professed goal of providing muscle in the war on drugs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Several committee members professed to knowing Skobin’s family, with one lauding him for the “good stock you come from.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• stated