professed; professing; professes
1
: to receive formally into a religious community following a novitiate by acceptance of the required vows
2
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
Synonyms
Examples of profess in a Sentence
He professes confidence in his friend.
They profess loyalty to the king.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, the implausible explanation of the invitation to a murderous terrorist cast a shadow upon the high ideals Trudeau so often professed.
—
David Frum, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
In a census last spring, 93 percent of the population professed itself Muslim and only 1.75 percent Roman Catholic.
—Fatjona Mejdini, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
Rather than turn to an outsider, the AOL Time Warner board selected Parsons as chairman and CEO, and the man who professed to be lacking in vision, who could barely work a computer, let alone navigate a course for the digital age, proved a solid choice.
—Stephen Galloway, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Dec. 2024
That professed skepticism clashed with his record in office.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for profess 
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David Frum, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
In a census last spring, 93 percent of the population professed itself Muslim and only 1.75 percent Roman Catholic.
—Fatjona Mejdini, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
Rather than turn to an outsider, the AOL Time Warner board selected Parsons as chairman and CEO, and the man who professed to be lacking in vision, who could barely work a computer, let alone navigate a course for the digital age, proved a solid choice.
—Stephen Galloway, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Dec. 2024
That professed skepticism clashed with his record in office.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for profess
Dictionary Entries Near profess
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profess. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
profess
verb
pro·fess
prə-ˈfes 
1
: to declare openly or freely
profess confidence in a friend
2
: pretend entry 1 sense 1, claim
professed to be our friends
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