professed
Americanadjective
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avowed; acknowledged.
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professing to be qualified; professional, rather than amateur.
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having taken the vows of, or been received into, a religious order.
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alleged; pretended.
adjective
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avowed or acknowledged
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alleged or pretended
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professing to be qualified as
a professed philosopher
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having taken vows of a religious order
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Though he professed to not know the mainland scene "very well", he pinpointed animation and small-scale productions as bright spots.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
Its professed goal is to prevent sickness that hurts our economic interests and overall wellbeing.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
Filmmakers and critics fretted, reasonably, that a Netflix acquisition would kill off the moviegoing experience for good, in light of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos’ professed antipathy toward theater-exclusive releases.
From Slate ● Feb. 27, 2026
This was not a prospect that filled me with enthusiasm…Tim said Vikram would be expecting my call…When I reached him, Vikram professed to be surprised.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026
“Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
