professed, ppl. a.
(prəʊˈfɛst, prəʊˈfɛsɪd)
Also 5–8 profest.
[f. profess v. + -ed1: see also profess a., in earlier use.]
1. That has taken the vows of a religious order. Also absol. as n. (= med.L. professus, profess a.)
| c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 348 A prechour y-professed haþ pliȝt me his trewþe. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 289 A profeste of þe ordur of Permonstracence;..þis profeste stoppid his hors & haylsid hur honestelie. c 1450 Life St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 7963 Þe bischop bad þaim be profest Monkys, or ga and do þair best. 1554 T. Martin (title) A Traictise..plainly prouyng, that the pretensed marriage of Priestes and professed persones, is no mariage, but altogether vnlawful. 1588 Allen Admon. 14 She hathe suppressed all the religious houses..dispersed the professed of the same. 1626 L. Owen Spec. Jesuit. (1629) 58 These professed Iesuites are imployed in hearing Confessions, saying of Masses, Preaching, and Writing. 1766 Blackstone Comm. II. xv. 257 One who entered into religion and became a monk professed was incapable of inheriting lands. 1870 Freeman Norm. Conq. I. v. 265 A natural daughter of Eadgar and already a professed nun. |
b. transf. Of or pertaining to professed persons.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 21 b, All though she were not in the professed habyte of religyon. 1662 J. Davies tr. Mandelslo's Trav. 99 We dined at the Profess'd House of the Jesuits. 1706 tr. Dupin's Eccl. Hist. 16th C. II. iv. xi. 455 They [the Jesuits] have Profess'd Houses for their Profess'd Members, and their Coadjutors. |
2. Self-acknowledged; openly declared or avowed by oneself; sometimes with an implication of ‘not real’, and so = Alleged, ostensible, pretended. (Of persons or things.)
| a 1569 A. Kingsmill Confl. Satan (1578) 15 A professed Satan to all the children of God. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. iii. 50 My Friend profest. 1605 ― Lear i. i. 275 Loue well our Father: To your professed bosomes I commit him. 1621 R. Brathwait Nat. Embassie (1877) 42 What I haue giuen thee, I would haue bestowed on my professedst enemy. 1703 Rowe Fair Penit. i. i. 278 He bears the noble Altamont Profest and deadly hatred. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 33 ¶1 The Profess'd Beauties, who are a People almost as unsufferable as the Profess'd Wits. 1841 Catlin N. Amer. Ind. II. xlvii. 103 A professed, and I think, sincere Christian. |
3. Followed as a profession or vocation.
| 1598 Stow Surv. Lond. (1603) 240 In those dayes euery man liued by his professed trade, no..one interrupting an other. |
4. That professes to be duly qualified; professional (as opposed to amateur).
| 1675 R. Burthogge Causa Dei 111 Though he were not a Profest Divine. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 473 ¶2 You profess'd Authors are a little severe upon us, who write like Gentlemen. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery iii. 16, I do not pretend to teach professed cooks, but my design is to instruct the ignorant and unlearned. 1874 Carpenter Ment. Phys. i. i. §20 (1879) 20 The professed Anatomist would be unable..to determine what is the precise state of each of the muscles concerned. |