professantn.adj.
/prəˈfɛsnt/, U.S. /prəˈfɛs(ə)nt/, /proʊˈfɛs(ə)nt/ A. n.
A person who professes (in various senses); now spec. a person entering a religious order (cf. professed adj. 1a).
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > worship > vow > [noun] > one who is bound by
professedc1450
votarist1609
professant1615
1615 R. Brathwait Strappado 24 But of professants, which compose their song To a strange descant! this Ile say they wrong Flowrie Parnassus.
1635 R. Brathwait tr. M. Silesio Arcadian Princesse 157 Presents..are moving objects to mercenary professants.
1665 R. Brathwait Comment Two Tales Chaucer 27 One trick..wherein none of all his fellow-consorts or Astronomical Professants can ever come near him.
1886 Catholic World Feb. 587 Non-Professants, who decline to make any profession of religious belief.
1974 Hispanic Amer. Hist. Rev. 54 214 Family influence and financial preeminence gained entrance for most professants.
1999 Mexican Stud. 15 254 The foundation of this convent would be an educational tool for the Indian community, inasmuch as the professants would have to learn Spanish.
Professing (to believe in or worship). Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > aspects of faith > [adjective] > having faith
leaffulOE
ileaffulOE
belieffula1200
faithfulc1384
trowinga1400
faitheda1413
believing1442
fiable1483
professant1621
professing1651
1621 H. Ainsworth Annot. First Bk. Moses, called Genesis (new ed.) vi. 3 These also..are my peculiar professant people.
1650 J. Trapp Clavis to Bible (Gen. vi. 2) 62 His peculiar professant people, called Sons of Jehovah.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1615