profess meaning and definition

PROFESS verb

Definition of profess (verb)

1. practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about
   • "She professes organic chemistry"
2. confess one's faith in, or allegiance to
   • "The terrorists professed allegiance to their country"; "he professes to be a Communist"
3. admit (to a wrongdoing)
   • "She confessed that she had taken the money"
   • synonyms: concede, confess
4. state freely
   • "The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades"
5. receive into a religious order or congregation
6. take vows, as in religious order
   • "she professed herself as a nun"
7. state insincerely
   • "He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt"; "She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber"; "She pretends to be an expert on wine"
   • synonyms: pretend