profess: Meaning and Definition of

pro•fess

Pronunciation: (pru-fes'), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to lay claim to, often insincerely; pretend to: He professed extreme regret.
  2. to declare openly; announce or affirm; avow or acknowledge: to profess one's satisfaction.
  3. to affirm faith in or allegiance to (a religion, God, etc.).
  4. to declare oneself skilled or expert in; claim to have knowledge of; make (a thing) one's profession or business.
  5. to teach as a professor: She professes comparative literature.
  6. to receive or admit into a religious order.
—v.i.
  1. to make a profession, avowal, or declaration.
  2. to take the vows of a religious order.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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