1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: “a physics major [who] professes to be a stickler when it comes to data” (Gina Maranto, Atlantic Monthly June 1995). 2. To make a pretense of; pretend: “top officials who were deeply involved with the arms sales but later professed ignorance of them” (David Johnston, New York Times Book Review February 2, 1993). 3a. To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of: profess medicine.b. To teach (a subject) as a professor: profess literature.4. To affirm belief in: profess Catholicism.5. To receive into a religious order or congregation.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:
1. To make an open affirmation. 2. To take the vows of a religious order or congregation.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English professen, to take vows, from Old French profes, that has taken a religious vow (from Medieval Latin professus, avowed) and from Medieval Latin professre, to administer a vow, both from Latin professus, past participle of profitr, to affirm openly : pro-, forth; see pro–1 + fatr, to acknowledge; see bh-2 in Appendix I.
pr
-f
s
, pr
-
re, to administer a vow, both from Latin professus, past participle of profit
r
, to affirm openly : pro-, forth; see pro–1 + fat
d-l
