Meaning

(transitive, chiefly passive voice) To administer the vows of a religious order to (someone); to admit to a religious order..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive, chiefly passive voice) To administer the vows of a religious order to (someone); to admit to a religious order.
2. (reflexive) To declare oneself (to be something).
3. (ambitransitive) To declare; to assert, affirm.
4. (transitive) To make a claim (to be something); to lay claim to (a given quality, feeling etc.), often with connotations of insincerity.
5. (transitive) To declare one's adherence to (a religion, deity, principle etc.).
6. (transitive) To work as a professor of; to teach.
7. (transitive, now rare) To claim to have knowledge or understanding of (a given area of interest, subject matter).

Example Sentences

This swayed the balance decisively in Mary's favour, and she was professed on 8 September 1578.

They've professed themselves delighted with the results.

Kiefer professes himself amused by the fuss that ensued when he announced that he was buying the Mülheim-Kärlich reactor[…].

Having professed her belief in the remedy, she had little choice but to try it.

He professes to haue receiued no sinister measure from his Iudge, but most willingly humbles himselfe to the determination of Iustice[…].

The best and wisest of them all professed / To know this only, that he nothing knew.

The guard was paying no attention whatever to the running of his train, in total disregard of rules, and, as the recently-published report of a Ministry of Transport Inspecting Officer of Railways shows, there were other disquieting features in the case, such as ignorance on the part of responsible men of rules and appendix instructions and a lax attitude to regulations of which they professed to be aware, combined with failure to look at staff notice boards.

The Governor immediately professed that he knew nothing about the incident.

Word Forms

• professes
• professing
• professed

Synonyms for profess

Related Words

When Should You Use Profess?

Use profess when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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