professes

Profess is a verb with several related senses centered on declaring or affirming something publicly. The primary sense is to declare or claim a belief, opinion, or state of being as if it were true. It can take a direct object, as in to profess a belief or a skill (to profess a love for painting), or be used with a to-infinitive clause (to profess to know the answer) or with an object noun (to profess one’s faith).

In religious contexts, profess often refers to formally declaring faith or taking vows. A person may profess a religious belief or, after a period of preparation, profess vows in a monastic or clerical order. The phrase profession of faith is a common, fixed expression describing a formal declaration of belief.

Etymology traces profess to the Middle English from Old French profess, from Latin profiteri “to declare publicly, to confess,” itself from pro- “forth” and fateri “to confess.” The word has retained a sense of outward, explicit declaration and can imply conviction or insistence, though it does not guarantee sincerity.

Related forms include professed (stated or claimed) and professing as an adjective or participle, as in “the professed aim” or “a professed atheist.” The noun profession, though etymologically related, refers more often to a vocation or the act of declaring a faith rather than the verb form itself.

Common usage: “He professes to be an expert.” “She professed her faith to the congregation.” “The professed aim of the project is to reduce emissions.”