PROFESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does profess mean? 

• PROFESS (verb)
  The verb PROFESS has 7 senses:

1. practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about

2. confess one's faith in, or allegiance to

3. admit (to a wrongdoing)

4. state freely

5. receive into a religious order or congregation

6. take vows, as in religious order

7. state insincerely

  Familiarity information: PROFESS used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PROFESS (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they profess    ... he / she / it professes   
Past simple: professed   
Past participle: professed   
-ing form: professing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She professes organic chemistry

Hypernyms (to "profess" is one way to...):

claim (assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They profess to move

Sense 2

Meaning:

Confess one's faith in, or allegiance to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

he professes to be a Communist

Hypernyms (to "profess" is one way to...):

declare (state emphatically and authoritatively)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

professing (an open avowal (true or false) of some belief or opinion)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Admit (to a wrongdoing)

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

concede; confess; profess

Context example:

She confessed that she had taken the money

Hypernyms (to "profess" is one way to...):

acknowledge; admit (declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "profess"):

fess up; make a clean breast of; own up (admit or acknowledge a wrongdoing or error)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

profession (an open avowal (true or false) of some belief or opinion)

Sense 4

Meaning:

State freely

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades

Hypernyms (to "profess" is one way to...):

declare (state emphatically and authoritatively)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 5

Meaning:

Receive into a religious order or congregation

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "profess" is one way to...):

accept; admit; take; take on (admit into a group or community)

Verb group:

profess (take vows, as in religious order)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Take vows, as in religious order

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

she professed herself as a nun

Hypernyms (to "profess" is one way to...):

vow (make a vow; promise)

Verb group:

profess (receive into a religious order or congregation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "profess"):

take the veil (become a nun)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

profession (affirmation of acceptance of some religion or faith)

Sense 7

Meaning:

State insincerely

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

pretend; profess

Context example:

She pretends to be an expert on wine

Hypernyms (to "profess" is one way to...):

claim (assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

 Context examples 

I do not profess to be a judge of such things, but they appeared to me to be singularly wanting in merit.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He professed himself extremely anxious about her fair friend—her fair, lovely, amiable friend.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Mr. Rochester professed to be puzzled.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

To do him justice, however, he did not resolve to appropriate it; for remembering that there was some very good ranting-ground in Frederick, he professed an equal willingness for that.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Society has claims on us all; and I profess myself one of those who consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for everybody.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

I do not profess to follow a law.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I don't profess to be clear about dates.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I am convinced, said Edward, that you really feel all the delight in a fine prospect which you profess to feel.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

He defended himself; though professing that he would never willingly admit any ladies on board a ship of his, excepting for a ball, or a visit, which a few hours might comprehend.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

He professed both to abominate and despise all mystery, refinement, and intrigue, either in a prince or a minister.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)