King James Bible Dictionary

PROFESS', verb transitive [Latin professus, profiteor; pro and fateor.]

1. To make open declaration of; to avow or acknowledge.

Let no man who professes himself a christian, keep so heathenish a family as not to see God by daily worshipped in it.

They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him. Titus 1:16.

2. To declare in strong terms.

Then will I profess to them, I never knew you. Matthew 7:23.

3. To make a show of any sentiments by loud declaration.

To your professing bosoms I commit him.

4. To declare publicly one's skill in any art or science, for inviting employment; as, to profess one's self a physician; he professes surgery.

PROFESS', verb intransitive To declare friendship. [Not in use.]

PROFESS'ED

PROFESS'EDLY, adverb By profession; by open declaration or avowal.

I could not grant too much to men--professedly my subjects.

England I traveled over, professedly searching all places as I passed along.

PROFESS'ING, participle present tense Openly declaring; avowing; acknowledging.

False
Proverbs 20:6; Hosea 8:2

Of faith in Jesus
Confession; Testimony, Religious

PROFES'SION, noun [Latin professio.]

1. Open declaration; public avowal or acknowledgment of one's sentiments or belief; as professions of friendship or sincerity; a profession of faith or religion.

The professions of princes, when a crown is the bait, are a slender security.

The Indians quickly perceive the coincidence or the contradiction between professions and conduct, and their confidence or distrust follows of course.

2. The business which one professes to understand and to follow for subsistence; calling; vocation; employment; as the learned professions. We speak of the profession of a clergyman, of a lawyer, and of a physician or surgeon; the profession of lecturer on chimistry or mineralogy. But the word is not applied to an occupation merely mechanical.

3. The collective body of persons engaged in a calling. We speak of practices honorable or disgraceful to a profession

4. Among the Romanists, the entering into a religious order, by which a person offers himself to God by a vow of inviolable obedience, chastity and poverty.

PROFES'SIONAL, adjective Pertaining to a profession or to a calling; as professional studies, pursuits, duties, engagements; professional character or skill.

PROFES'SIONALLY, adverb By profession or declaration. He is professionally a friend to religion.

1. By calling; as one employed professionally

PROFESS'OR, noun [Latin] One who makes open declaration of his sentiments or opinions; particularly, one who makes a public avowal of his belief in the Scriptures and his faith in Christ, and thus unites himself to the visible church.

1. One that publicly teaches any science or branch of learning; particularly, an officer in a university, college or other seminary, whose business is to read lectures or instruct students in a particular branch of learning; as a professor of theology or mathematics.

PROFESSO'RIAL, adjective [Latin professorius.] Pertaining to a professor; as the professorial chair.

PROFESS'ORSHIP, noun The office of a professor or public teacher of the sciences.

PROFESS'ORY, adjective Pertaining to a professor.