profess

verb

pro·​fess prə-ˈfes How to pronounce profess (audio)
prō-
professed; professing; professes

transitive verb

1
: to receive formally into a religious community following a novitiate by acceptance of the required vows
2
a
: to declare or admit openly or freely : affirm
b
: to declare in words or appearances only : pretend, claim
3
: to confess one's faith in or allegiance to
4
a
: to practice or claim to be versed in (a calling or profession)
b
: to teach as a professor

intransitive verb

1
: to make a profession or avowal
2
obsolete : to profess friendship

Examples of profess in a Sentence

He professes confidence in his friend. They profess loyalty to the king.
Recent Examples on the Web On Friday, Coull at last delivered a statement from the House of Illuminati account professing deep regret and seeking to dispel a number of rumors. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 At a polling station stop in Londonderry, Trump greeted cheering supporters, predicted victory and professed a lack of concern about Haley's campaign future. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 This time last year — at this same event — Gallen professed a desire to bring playoff baseball to Arizona. The Arizona Republic, 20 Jan. 2024 Instead, in the final chapter, May professes a naive faith that all this can only be solved if careerist politicians and state officials adopt an ethic of public service. Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 But there also appears to be a genuine human element to the relationship, with the two men professing a deep fraternal affection. Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 This is the time of year when indulgent love songs reach peak rotation on radio and Spotify playlists, professing the promise of undying adoration and dedication. Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Liza received a photo supposedly of Donald in a Spanish prison, needing bail money, holding a sticky note professing his love for her and desire to join her. USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Jennifer Lopez is professing her love for Ben Affleck. Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

in sense 1, from Middle English, from profes, adjective, having professed one's vows, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin professus, from Latin, past participle of profitēri to profess, confess, from pro- before + fatēri to acknowledge; in other senses, from Latin professus, past participle — more at confess

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of profess was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near profess

Cite this Entry

“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profess. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

profess

verb
pro·​fess prə-ˈfes How to pronounce profess (audio)
1
: to declare openly or freely
profess confidence in a friend
2
: pretend entry 1 sense 1, claim
professed to be our friends

More from Merriam-Webster on profess

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