make a clean breast of; " She confessed that she had taken the money"

as in religious orders; take a vow

confess one's faith in, or allegiance to; " The terrorists professed allegiance to the Muslim faith"; " he professes to be a Communist"

claim to be proficient

state insincerely; " He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt"; " She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber"; " She pretends to be an expert on wine"

take vows, as in religious order; " she professed herself as a nun"

receive into a religious order or congregation

state freely; " The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades"

To make open declaration of, as of one's knowledge, belief, action, etc.; to avow or acknowledge; to confess publicly; to own or admit freely.

To set up a claim to; to make presence to; hence, to put on or present an appearance of.

To take a profession upon one's self by a public declaration; to confess.

To declare friendship.

To make an open or public statement of, as one's belief, intentions, etc.; avow or acknowledge; to pretend; set up a claim of; to claim to be an authority in.

Professedly.

To own freely: to declare in strong terms: to announce publicly one's skill in.

To avow; declare.

To make open declaration of; avow; declare.

To avow or acknowledge; to declare in strong terms; to declare publicly one's skill in any art or science.

To own or acknowledge; to make open declaration of; to avow; to declare publicly one's skill or qualifications; to lay claim to.

" Your porcelain was exquisitely chosen, and I profess to be a connoisseur," he said. – The Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith by George Meredith

I do not profess to know what is meant by " intelligible"; it seems to mean " familiar to imagination." – Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays by Bertrand Russell

If there is any more, and I have no doubt there is much, you must, if you care to do so, consult those who profess to discuss such matters. – Treatises on Friendship and Old Age by Marcus Tullius Cicero

I had not thought to have listened to such a recommendation from one who loved me as you profess. – Guy Rivers: A Tale of Georgia by William Gilmore Simms

At all events, however, it is better than having him profess friendship for me. – Francezka by Molly Elliot Seawell

You call her daughter, and profess to love her. – The Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith by George Meredith

You profess to be anxious to avoid anything in the nature of force or bloodshed. – Turned Adrift by Harry Collingwood

At ten- twenty he decided to move upon Greenfields at once, and telephoned O'Hagan, advising him to profess ignorance of his employer's whereabouts. – The Brass Bowl by Louis Joseph Vance

It is true that they usually profess to deal with round numbers alone; and perhaps if every number employed were literally round, it would represent the sum of what is known with certainty on the subjects that are spoken of. – The Comic History of Rome by Gilbert Abbott Becket

The facts of which they profess total ignorance would fill many interesting volumes. – A Son of the Immortals by Louis Tracy

I don't profess to having these high sentiments which some boast of. – The Man Who Rose Again by Joseph Hocking

They profess only to repeat something that they have heard- something, they are careful to add, which is probably quite untrue, and which they themselves do not believe for a moment. – Vanishing Roads and Other Essays by Richard Le Gallienne

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. – God's Plan with Men by T. T. (Thomas Theodore) Martin

I think if I was ashamed to profess Him before others, He ought to be ashamed of me when I came to die and called out in my distress. – Footprints in the Forest by Edward Sylvester Ellis

I profess only to have dealt with my materials honestly to the best of my ability. – The Life of Froude by Herbert Paul

The generality of such as profess religion are poor, and have little time, little capacity, little money. – A Solemn Caution Against the Ten Horns of Calvinism by Thomas Taylor