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
Examples of profess in a Sentence
He professes confidence in his friend.
They profess loyalty to the king.
Recent Examples on the Web
In this context, improving pay and addressing disparities will be a formidable undertaking for a mayoral administration that professes a commitment to economic justice.
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Quenneville likes the comparison to Perry, professing an affinity for a player who was, for years, an adversarial nuisance.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet Emmanwori has professed an admiration for Fred Warner, an All-Pro linebacker who was a hybrid safety/linebacker at Brigham Young and converted to a sideline-to-sideline linebacker for the 49ers.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
Maurice grows steadily more intimate with a friend, Clive, trading books and letters with him over vacation, until Clive professes his love.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
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Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Quenneville likes the comparison to Perry, professing an affinity for a player who was, for years, an adversarial nuisance.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet Emmanwori has professed an admiration for Fred Warner, an All-Pro linebacker who was a hybrid safety/linebacker at Brigham Young and converted to a sideline-to-sideline linebacker for the 49ers.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
Maurice grows steadily more intimate with a friend, Clive, trading books and letters with him over vacation, until Clive professes his love.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profess. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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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