profess

Everyday

1. (formal) To say openly that you feel, believe or have something: He professed his love for chocolate. tree →
2. To claim something, often falsely: She professes to know everything. tree →
3. To openly follow a religion. tree →
4. Professed means openly declared or acknowledged as being a certain kind of person, such as a professed poet. tree →

In the lessons

A formal, bookish word used in stories and exam passages. Often it hints the claim is not quite true: «He professed to be an expert, but he could not even swim». It helps readers judge if a character is honest. Phrases: «profess to be», «profess ignorance», «professed love».

Examples

• The knight professed his loyalty to the queen. tree →
• He professes to be the best player in school. tree →
• She professed not to know who ate the cake. tree →
• They profess a deep love of animals. tree →
• The so-called wizard professed great powers. tree →
• He professed ignorance of the rules. tree →
• There are many who are more the poets of nature than those who are professed poets. tree →

Note

Regular verb: professed. Related: profession (a job like a doctor), professor (a university teacher) — though their meanings now differ. «Professed» can mean «claimed but maybe untrue».

In Jewish tradition

A formal, bookish word used in stories and exam passages. Often it hints the claim is not quite true: «He professed to be an expert, but he could not even swim». It helps readers judge if a character is honest. Phrases: «profess to be», «profess ignorance», «professed love».

Note

Regular verb: professed. Related: profession (a job like a doctor), professor (a university teacher) — though their meanings now differ. «Professed» can mean «claimed but maybe untrue».