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"

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

practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about; " She professes organic chemistry"

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 present to knowledge of, to proclaim one's self versed in; to make one's self a teacher or practitioner of, to set up as an authority respecting; to declare ( one's self to be such); as, he professes surgery; to profess one's self a physician.

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.

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

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

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

Disgust with liberty, distrust of science, denial of the future, that is what they now profess. – The Three Cities Trilogy: Paris, Vol. 2 by Emile Zola

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

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

" I answer those who wrote to me, thus: Tell me, why have you appealed to me who profess to be a Catholic? – The Saint by Antonio Fogazzaro Commentator: William Roscoe Thayer

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

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

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

For no possible injury committed on his person, either by his owner or others, can he receive compensation, although the law may profess to punish cruelty to him as to other animals. – A Letter to the Hon. Samuel Eliot, Representative in Congress From the City of Boston, In Reply to His Apology For Voting For the Fugitive Slave Bill. by Hancock

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

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

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

" 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

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

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

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

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