Profess

Quick meaning: Profess is a verb meaning (transitive, chiefly passive voice) To administer the vows of a religious order to (someone); to admit to a religious order.

Meaning

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

More Meanings

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

Example Sentences

They've professed themselves delighted with the results.

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

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

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

Word Forms

• professes
• professing
• professed

Synonyms for profess

Depending on context, synonyms include concede, confess.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include confess, concede, preach, advocate, practice, avow.

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