Confess vs. Profess: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Confess means to admit guilt or reveal something personal, while profess involves declaring publicly, often one's belief or feeling.
Key Differences
Confess implies an admission of something that one might have preferred to keep secret, especially guilt or wrongdoings, whereas profess refers to affirming one's faith, belief, or feeling, often publicly and formally.
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Nov 23, 2023
In confessing, one typically acknowledges facts or actions that are personally incriminating or embarrassing, while in professing, one declares their skills, love, or adherence to a belief or principle.
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Nov 23, 2023
The act of confessing often carries a sense of relief or guilt, being a personal and sometimes private affair. In contrast, professing tends to be more about public declaration, often used in academic or religious contexts.
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Nov 23, 2023
Confession is often associated with the context of law, religion, or personal relationships, implying a revelation of something hidden. Profession, on the other hand, is more about a declaration of knowledge, belief, or occupation.
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Nov 23, 2023
While confession usually requires bravery to confront uncomfortable truths, profession often requires confidence in one's beliefs, skills, or feelings.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 23, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Admitting guilt or personal truths.
Declaring beliefs, feelings, or expertise.
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Context
Often personal, legal, or religious.
Typically public, academic, or religious.
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Implication
Implies revealing hidden or secret information.
Implies affirming or declaring openly.
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Associated Feelings
Guilt, relief, embarrassment.
Confidence, affirmation, declaration.
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Usage
Personal admissions, confidences.
Public declarations, affirmations of faith.
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Confess and Profess Definitions
Confess
Revealing a personal or secret matter.
She confessed her feelings to her best friend.
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Profess
To declare openly; to affirm.
He professed his undying love for her.
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Confess
To admit guilt or wrongdoing.
He confessed to the crime during the interrogation.
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Profess
Claim openly but often falsely that one has a certain quality or feeling.
She professed innocence despite the evidence.
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Confess
To declare or disclose something personal or private.
She confessed her doubts about the new project.
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Profess
Declare one's faith or allegiance.
They professed their loyalty to the cause.
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Confess
To disclose (something damaging or inconvenient to oneself); admit.
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Profess
To affirm one's belief or faith.
She professed her belief in the principles of democracy.
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Profess
To affirm openly; declare or claim
"a physics major [who] professes to be a stickler when it comes to data" (Gina Maranto).
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Profess
To make a pretense of; pretend
"top officials who were deeply involved with the arms sales but later professed ignorance of them" (David Johnston).
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Confess
To admit or acknowledge something damaging or inconvenient to oneself
The suspect confessed to the crime.
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Confess
To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.
I confess to spray-painting all over that mural!
I confess that I am a sinner.
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Confess
(religion) To unburden (oneself) of sins to God or a priest, in order to receive absolution.
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Profess
To administer the vows of a religious order to (someone); to admit to a religious order.
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Confess
To make acknowledgment or avowal in a matter pertaining to one's self; to acknowledge, own, or admit, as a crime, a fault, a debt.
And there confessHumbly our faults, and pardon beg.
I must confess I was most pleased with a beautiful prospect that none of them have mentioned.
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Profess
(transitive) To make a claim (to be something); to lay claim to (a given quality, feeling etc.), often with connotations of insincerity.
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Confess
To acknowledge faith in; to profess belief in.
Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess, also, before my Father which is in heaven.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
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Profess
(transitive) To declare one's adherence to (a religion, deity, principle etc.).
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Confess
To admit as true; to assent to; to acknowledge, as after a previous doubt, denial, or concealment.
I never gave it him. Send for him hither,And let him confess a truth.
As I confess it needs must be.
As an actor confessed without rival to shine.
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Confess
To make known or acknowledge, as one's sins to a priest, in order to receive absolution; - sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun.
Our beautiful votary took an opportunity of confessing herself to this celebrated father.
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Profess
To claim to have knowledge or understanding of (a given area of interest, subject matter).
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Confess
To hear or receive such confession; - said of a priest.
He . . . heard mass, and the prince, his son, with him, and the most part of his company were confessed.
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Profess
To make open declaration of, as of one's knowledge, belief, action, etc.; to avow or acknowledge; to confess publicly; to own or admit freely.
The best and wisest of them all professedTo know this only, that he nothing knew.
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Confess
To disclose or reveal, as an effect discloses its cause; to prove; to attest.
Tall thriving trees confessed the fruitful mold.
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Profess
To set up a claim to; to make presence to; hence, to put on or present an appearance of.
I do profess to be no less than I seem.
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Confess
To make confession; to disclose sins or faults, or the state of the conscience.
Every tongue shall confess to God.
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Profess
To present to knowledge of, to proclaim one's self versed in; to make one's self a teacher or practitioner of, to set up as an authority respecting; to declare (one's self to be such); as, he professes surgery; to profess one's self a physician.
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Confess
To acknowledge; to admit; to concede.
But since(And I confess with right) you think me bound.
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Profess
To take a profession upon one's self by a public declaration; to confess.
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Confess
Confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
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Confess
Admit, make a clean breast of;
She confessed that she had taken the money
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Profess
Practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about;
She professes organic chemistry
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Confess
Confess to God in the presence of a priest, as in the Catholic faith
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Profess
Confess one's faith in, or allegiance to;
The terrorists professed allegiance to the Muslim faith
He professes to be a Communist
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Confess
Acknowledge something reluctantly, typically something one feels ashamed of.
He finally confessed his mistakes to his team.
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Profess
Admit, make a clean breast of;
She confessed that she had taken the money
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Confess
Admit or state that one has committed a crime or is at fault in some way.
The suspect confessed after hours of questioning.
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Profess
State freely;
The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades
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Profess
State insincerely;
He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt
She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber
She pretends to be an expert on wine
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Profess
To assert one's expertise or knowledge in a particular area.
He professed to be an expert in the field.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What does it mean to profess?
To declare or affirm something, often publicly.
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Can confessing be therapeutic?
Yes, confessing can be a form of emotional release and can be therapeutic.
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What does it mean to confess?
To admit to something, typically a wrongdoing or a personal secret.
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How is professing used in academia?
Professors in academia profess or declare their knowledge and expertise in a subject.
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Is professing always honest?
Not necessarily; sometimes people profess things they don't truly believe.
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Do people confess under pressure?
Yes, confessions can occur under pressure, sometimes leading to false admissions.
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Can someone profess expertise falsely?
Yes, it's possible to profess expertise or knowledge one does not have.
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What is a confession in law?
A confession in law is an admission of guilt in a criminal context.
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Can "profess" be used to describe someone's job or occupation?
Yes, it can be used to describe one's profession, as in "She professes to be a lawyer."
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Can you provide an example sentence using "confess"?
"He decided to confess his involvement in the theft to the police."
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Can "confess" be used in a religious context?
Yes, it is commonly used in religious contexts when admitting one's sins to a priest or a higher power.
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Nov 23, 2023
What's the difference between "confess" and "admit"?
While they are often used interchangeably, "confess" is typically associated with a more formal or serious admission, especially when related to sins or crimes.
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Give me an example sentence using "profess."
"He professes a deep love for classical music and can play multiple instruments."
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In what context would you use "confess" in a positive way?
You might use "confess" positively when someone admits their love or affection for someone.
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How is "profess" different from "confess"?
"Profess" is about openly declaring or claiming something, while "confess" is about admitting to something, often with a sense of guilt or wrongdoing.
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Nov 23, 2023
Can "profess" be used in a religious context?
Yes, it can be used to describe openly declaring one's faith or religious beliefs.
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Nov 23, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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