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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
You might feel called to profess your love, take next steps in your relationship, or start building your dream life in some actionable way. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2025 Trump professes his ability to make deals, and the saber-rattling of draconian levies on other countries is all part of the strategy to get the best arrangement possible where more goods are manufactured domestically, boosting American jobs and providing a fairer landscape for trade. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025 Following an interview with TMZ from her room at the assisted living facility in which Williams professed to being in good mental health, NYPD officers performed a wellness check and subsequently escorted Williams to a hospital. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025 This was after Nan professed her love to Guy (Matthew Broome) and had chosen him over the Duke of Tintagel. Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for profess

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profess. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!