pro·fess (pr -f s , pr -)v. pro·fessed, pro·fess·ing, pro·fess·es v.tr.1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: "a physics major [who] professes to be a stickler when it comes to data" Gina Maranto. 2. To make a pretense of; pretend: "top officials who were deeply involved with the arms sales but later professed ignorance of them" David Johnston. 3. a. To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of: profess medicine. b. To teach (a subject) as a professor: profess literature. 4. To affirm belief in: profess Catholicism. 5. To receive into a religious order or congregation. v.intr.1. To make an open affirmation. 2. To take the vows of a religious order or congregation.
[Middle English professen, to take vows, from Old French profes, that has taken a religious vow (from Medieval Latin professus, avowed) and from Medieval Latin profess re, to administer a vow, both from Latin professus, past participle of profit r , to affirm openly : pro-, forth; see pro-1 + fat r , to acknowledge; see bh -2 in Indo-European roots.]
pro·fess ed·ly (-f s d-l ) adv. |
profess Verb 1. to claim (something as true), often falsely: he professes not to want the job of prime minister 2. to acknowledge openly: he professed great relief at getting some rest 3. to have as one's belief or religion: most Indonesians profess the Islamic faith [Latin profiteri to confess openly] professed adj
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | profess - practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about; "She professes organic chemistry"claim - assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing; "He claimed that he killed the burglar" | | 2. | profess - confess one's faith in, or allegiance to; "The terrorists professed allegiance to their country"; "he professes to be a Communist"declare - state emphatically and authoritatively; "He declared that he needed more money to carry out the task he was charged with" | | 3. | profess - admit (to a wrongdoing); "She confessed that she had taken the money"acknowledge, admit - declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of; "He admitted his errors"; "She acknowledged that she might have forgotten" | | 4. | profess - state freely; "The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades"declare - state emphatically and authoritatively; "He declared that he needed more money to carry out the task he was charged with" | | 5. | profess - receive into a religious order or congregationprofess - take vows, as in religious order; "she professed herself as a nun" admit, take on, accept, take - admit into a group or community; "accept students for graduate study"; "We'll have to vote on whether or not to admit a new member" | | 6. | profess - take vows, as in religious order; "she professed herself as a nun"vow - make a vow; promise; "He vowed never to drink alcohol again" take the veil - become a nun; "The young woman took the veil after her fiance died" profess - receive into a religious order or congregation | | 7. | profess - state insincerely; "He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt"; "She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber"; "She pretends to be an expert on wine"claim - assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing; "He claimed that he killed the burglar" |
profess verb 1. claim, allege, pretend, fake, make out, sham, purport, feign, act as if, let on, dissemble verb 2. state, admit, announce, maintain, own, confirm, declare, acknowledge, confess, assert, proclaim, affirm, certify, avow, vouch, aver, asseverate
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