profess
gb/pɹəfˈɛs/ us/pɹəfˈɛs/
C1
English
~ 8100
állít, hangoztat, vall, hitet tesz valami mellett, oktat, tanít
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] professes [feeling/belief/quality]
He loudly professed his innocence despite the evidence against him.
A bizonyítékok ellenére hangosan állította, hogy ártatlan.
They publicly professed their love but broke up a month later.
Nyilvánosan hangoztatták a szerelmüket, de egy hónappal később szakítottak.
The minister professes great concern for the poor, but his policies say otherwise.
She professes total ignorance of the plan, which many people find hard to believe.
Several experts professed confidence in the new technology, though the trials were limited.
Learner examples
He professed his love to her.
Szerelmet vallott neki.
She professes that she knows nothing about the problem.
Azt állítja, hogy semmit sem tud a problémáról.
The company professes a strong interest in the environment.
They professed their support for the new leader.
He professes to be very honest.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'profess' with 'confess'. 'Profess' means to claim or say that you have a feeling, belief, or quality (often with a suggestion it may not be true). 'Confess' means to admit that you did something wrong or bad. You confess a crime, but you profess your innocence.
Meaning
claim to feel or believe something
Collocations
profess ignorance
|profess innocence
|profess love
|profess loyalty
|profess admiration
|profess to know
Synonyms
claim (more general and common; does not by itself suggest possible insincerity the way 'profess' often does in modern use)
|
pretend (stronger idea of being false or fake; 'profess' can suggest doubt without clearly saying it is a lie)
|
assert (focuses on stating something firmly; less about inner feelings than 'profess')
Antonyms
deny (to say you do not have a feeling or belief, which is the opposite of claiming that you do)
|
conceal (to hide a feeling or belief instead of openly claiming it, the opposite of professing it)
Themes
communication
|emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to say that you feel, believe, or are something, especially when other people may not believe you
To claim that you have a particular feeling, belief, quality, or opinion, especially when others may doubt that it is true.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] professes [religion/belief/principle]
Many voters profess a deep faith in democracy.
Sok szavazó nyíltan hitet tesz a demokrácia mellett.
He professes Christianity but rarely goes to church.
Kereszténynek vallja magát, de ritkán jár templomba.
Several members of the group profess pacifist beliefs.
The party professes a commitment to social justice.
She publicly professed allegiance to the new regime.
Learner examples
He professes the Muslim faith.
A muszlim hitet vallja.
They profess a belief in human rights.
Hitet tesz az emberi jogok mellett.
The group professes non-violent ideas.
She professes loyalty to the king.
The organization professes strong moral values.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'say' instead of 'profess' in formal writing. 'Say' is fine in speech, but in written or formal contexts about beliefs or religions, 'profess' or 'declare' is usually more natural.
Meaning
openly declare a faith or belief
Collocations
profess Christianity
|profess a faith
|profess a belief
|profess democracy
|profess liberal values
Synonyms
declare (more general; does not always suggest a long-term commitment or identity the way 'profess' often does)
|
avow (formal and slightly literary; similar idea of openly stating a belief or principle)
Antonyms
renounce (to publicly say you no longer hold a belief or follow a religion, the opposite of professing it)
|
disavow (to deny any connection with a belief or principle, contrasting with openly claiming it)
Themes
religion
|politics
|society
|communication
Definition
to say in public that you follow a religion or strongly believe an idea or set of rules
To state openly that you follow, believe in, or are committed to a particular religion, ideology, or set of principles.
VERB
C2
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] professes [subject] at [institution]
She professes medieval history at a small European university.
Középkori történelmet oktat egy kis európai egyetemen.
He has professed physics at Oxford for more than twenty years.
Több mint húsz éve oktat fizikát Oxfordban.
Several of those who profess law here are leading experts in their field.
Learner examples
He professes chemistry at the university.
Kémiát oktat az egyetemen.
She professes English literature in London.
Angol irodalmat oktat Londonban.
My uncle professes medicine at a famous college.
Two scholars profess philosophy at that school.
Common mistake:
Modern English normally uses 'teach' or 'teach at a university' instead of 'profess' in this sense. Using 'profess' this way can sound old-fashioned or overly formal.
Meaning
teach a subject at university
Collocations
profess law
|profess philosophy
|profess theology
|profess at the university
Synonyms
teach (more general and common; does not carry the formal, university-specific tone of 'profess')
|
lecture in (specific to university teaching; focuses on giving lectures rather than holding a professorial position)
Antonyms
study (students study a subject, while professors profess or teach it)
Themes
education
|work
Definition
to teach a subject at a university as your job (formal and not common)
To work as a university or college teacher in a particular subject, especially in older or very formal use.
Grammar
Dictionary form
profess
IPA
GB/pɹəfˈɛs/
US/pɹəfˈɛs/
Syllables & stress
pro - fess (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fess)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: profess
- 3rd Person Singular: professes
- Present Participle: professing
- Past: professed
Word family
Forms
professes
verb
professing
verb
professed
verb
Core family
Related words
professionally
adverb B1
professionalism
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
unprofessional
adjective
Advanced or less common
professorship
noun
professorial
adjective
Expressions
profess faith
1/pɹəfˈɛs fˈeɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
state belief or religious faith
to say that you believe in a religion or strongly trust something, like a system or leader
Examples
- Citizens were required to profess faith in the new constitution.
- She publicly professed faith in the party’s leadership.
profess ignorance
1/pɹəfˈɛs ˈɪɡnɚəns/
fixed phrase
formal
claim not to know something
to say that you do not know about something, often when people think you really do know
Examples
- The minister professed ignorance of the report’s findings.
- He professed ignorance when asked about the missing money, but nobody believed him.
profess innocence
1/pɹəfˈɛs ˈɪnəsəns/
fixed phrase
formal
claim not to be guilty
to say that you did not do something wrong, especially a crime or bad act
Examples
- Even after the verdict, he continued to profess his innocence.
- The suspect professed innocence in every interview with the press.
profess one's love
1/pɹəfˈɛs wˈʌnz lˈʌv/
fixed phrase
formal
declare your love openly
to say clearly and strongly that you love someone
Examples
- He finally professed his love to her after years of silence.
- In the letter she professed her love and asked him to return.