professed

adjective

pro·​fessed prə-ˈfest How to pronounce professed (audio)
prō-
1
: openly and freely declared or acknowledged : affirmed
2
: professing to be qualified
also : expert

Examples of professed in a Sentence

He is a professed enemy of the king. a professed analyst of American presidential politics
Recent Examples on the Web The Houthis have a tradition of fierce independence, despite the militia’s overall reliance on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its professed loyalty to Khamenei as the ultimate leader of the resistance. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2024 But such professed goals have not been realized — far from it. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023 Even for professed supporters of Putin, the news conference and call-in show highlight his authoritarian, strongman rule and, by contrast, the ineptitude of national, regional and local government institutions. Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023 Human rights activists have accused the U.S. government of casting aside its professed commitment to promoting democracy and human rights abroad in favor of shoring up U.S. influence in the region. Katie Rogers, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023 Human rights activists have accused the US government of casting aside its professed commitment to promoting democracy and human rights abroad in favor of shoring up US influence in the region. Peter Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023 California has lagged far behind several other states on community solar, despite its professed leadership in confronting the climate crisis. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023 That war has posed a bit of a problem for China’s professed position, however. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2023 However, despite the professed commitment to change, many workplaces are stuck in time, perpetuating outdated practices and failing to embrace DEI’s potential. Billie Jean King, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of professed was circa 1524

Dictionary Entries Near professed

Cite this Entry

“Professed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

professed

adjective
pro·​fessed prə-ˈfest How to pronounce professed (audio)
1
: openly declared
failed in its professed task
2
: claiming to be qualified
a professed expert

More from Merriam-Webster on professed

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