profess

Meanings

• practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about
  • "She professes organic chemistry"
• confess one's faith in, or allegiance to
  • "The terrorists professed allegiance to their country"
  • "he professes to be a Communist"
• admit (to a wrongdoing)
• state freely
  • "The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades"
• receive into a religious order or congregation
• take vows, as in religious order
  • "she professed herself as a nun"
• state insincerely
  • "He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt"

Synonyms

concede, confess, pretend