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Definition of profess verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

profess

verb
 
/prəˈfes/
 
/prəˈfes/
(formal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they profess
 
/prəˈfes/
 
/prəˈfes/
he / she / it professes
 
/prəˈfesɪz/
 
/prəˈfesɪz/
past simple professed
 
/prəˈfest/
 
/prəˈfest/
past participle professed
 
/prəˈfest/
 
/prəˈfest/
-ing form professing
 
/prəˈfesɪŋ/
 
/prəˈfesɪŋ/
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  1. to claim that something is true or correct, especially when it is not
    • profess something She still professes her innocence.
    • profess to be/have something I don't profess to be an expert in this subject.
    Topics Personal qualitiesc1
  2. to state openly that you have a particular belief, feeling, etc. synonym declare
    • profess something In this scene the couple finally profess their love for each other.
    • He professed his admiration for their work.
    • profess yourself + adj. She professed herself satisfied with the progress so far.
  3. profess something to belong to a particular religion
    • to profess Christianity/Islam/Judaism
  4. Word OriginMiddle English (as be professed ‘be received into a religious order’): from Latin profess- ‘declared publicly’, from the verb profiteri, from pro- ‘before’ + fateri ‘confess’.
See profess in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee profess in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
aspiration
noun
 
 
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C1
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