He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her.professpro‧fess /prəˈfes/ verb [transitive] formal 
The government professes to care about the poor. He professed to be an expert on Islamic art.2 profess your innocence to say that you did not do something bad, especially a crime: In court, the man was still professing his innocence.3to state a personal feeling or belief openly: He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her.profess yourself (to be) something He professed himself satisfied with the results.4to have a religion or belief: Matt professed no religion.
WORD ORIGINprofess
Origin:
1400-1500 Latin professus, past participle of profiteri ‘to profess, confess’VERB TABLE
profess
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | profess |
| he, she, it | professes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | professed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have professed |
| he, she, it | has professed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had professed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will profess |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have professed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am professing |
| he, she, it | is professing | |
| you, we, they | are professing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was professing |
| you, we, they | were professing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been professing |
| he, she, it | has been professing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been professing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be professing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been professing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- For months, Derek had wanted to profess his love for Beth.
- In Mexico, ninety percent of the people profess Catholicism.
- Lewis professed his innocence.
- Speaking softly, Prucell professed her dislike of giving interviews.
- He professed to be mates with all the Revie team now as then.
- It professes no particular architectural creed; it belongs to no recognisable school of design.
- Often she will be able to sleep with rising superstars and juvenile celebrities who will profess love but never contemplate marrying her.
- She professed to have been a cook in a house where I was once governess.
- She was not then perpetually professed.
- What they did not profess to understand was how it could be terminated.
- While Norm professed dismay with his thievery, he always kept what Benjy brought him.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her.· George would spend early evenings lying on the hillside with her, professing his love.· He seizes her hand and professes his violent love for her.· It was a recording of a phone conversation allegedly between the Princess and an admirer, who professed his love for her.· Soon enough, Ferdinand was professing his love and asking her to marry him.· In two days' time, the calendar dictates that we must profess love to those we hold dear.· Often she will be able to sleep with rising superstars and juvenile celebrities who will profess love but never contemplate marrying her.· Never for a moment did I doubt the acceptability to an investment banker of a professed love of money.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1to say that you do, are etc something, especially when it is not really trueprofess to do/be something- If they can come to a binding agreement, the prisoners will both profess their innocence and be sentenced to two years.
The government professes to care about the poor. He professed to be an expert on Islamic art.2 profess your innocence to say that you did not do something bad, especially a crime: In court, the man was still professing his innocence.3to state a personal feeling or belief openly: He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her.profess yourself (to be) something He professed himself satisfied with the results.4to have a religion or belief: Matt professed no religion.