profess
profess Lexical Profile
profess Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To claim or declare openly that one has a quality, feeling, or belief, often when this is not actually true.
"Despite his long career in finance, he professed total ignorance of the new tax regulations."
To affirm one's faith in or allegiance to a religion, principle, or cause.
"The historical treaty guaranteed tolerance for all citizens who professed the Christian faith."
To practice or teach a subject or skill as one's profession or vocation.
"For over three decades, she professed classical philology at the university."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used to claim a quality, feeling, or belief, 'profess' often carries a subtle implication of insincerity or doubt, whereas 'confess' implies admitting to a fault or hidden truth.
• Rhymes for profess
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Old French from Latin 'professus', the past participle of 'profiteri' ('to declare publicly'), formed from 'pro-' ('before, forth') and 'fateri' ('to acknowledge or confess').