WordWeb Online

1. Professing to be qualified
   "a professed philosopher"
    
2. Claimed with intent to deceive
   "his professed intentions"
    
3. Openly declared as such
   "her professed love of everything about that country"; "McKinley was assassinated by a professed anarchist";
   - avowed

1. State insincerely
   "He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt";
   - pretend
    
2. State freely
   "The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades"
    
3. Practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about
   "She professes organic chemistry"
    
4. Confess one's faith in, or allegiance to
   "The terrorists professed allegiance to their country"; "he professes to be a Communist"
    
5. Admit (to a wrongdoing)
   "She professed that she had taken the money";
   - concede, confess
    
6. Receive into a religious order or congregation
    
7. Take vows, as in religious order
   "she professed herself as a nun"

See also: declared, professional

Type of: accept, acknowledge, admit, claim, declare, pronounce, take, take on, vow

Encyclopedia: Professed