Profess

/prəˈfɛs/

Meaning & Definition

verb
to declare openly or freely; to make a profession of.
She professed her love for him in front of all their friends.
to affirm one's belief in or allegiance to a religion or belief system.
He professes a deep faith in spirituality and the power of nature.
to claim or pretend to have a quality or feeling.
They profess to be experts in the field, but their lack of experience suggests otherwise.
to teach or publicly proclaim knowledge in a particular field.
She professes mathematics at the local university.
to declare or announce a belief, theory, or point of view.
The scientist professed a new theory about the origins of the universe.

Etymology

Middle English, from Old French 'professer', from Latin 'profiteri', meaning 'to declare publicly'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

profess one's love
to declare one's feelings of love openly
profess ignorance
to claim not to know something
profess faith
to explicitly declare belief in a particular religion

Related Words

professor
A person who teaches at a university or college.
profession
A paid occupation, especially one that requires training.

Slang Meanings

To brag or boast about one's skills or beliefs.
He likes to profess about his cooking skills, but he rarely cooks.
To show off knowledge or beliefs in a pompous way.
She often professes her understanding of politics in social gatherings.