prŏfĭtĕor, fessus, v (old form of the inf. PROFITEREI, and of the imper. PROFITEMINO, several times in the Tab. Her, in Haubold, Mon. Leg. p. 99 sq.), v. dep. a. [pro-fateor], to declare publicly, to own freely, to acknowledge, avow, confess openly, profess (class.).
I In gen.
a Absol. : neque vis tuā voluntate ipse profiteri, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 80: ita libenter confitetur, ut non solum fateri, sed etiam profiteri videatur, Cic. Caecin. 9, 24: fateor atque etiam profiteor et prae me fero, id. Rab. Perd. 5, 17.—
b With acc.: profiteri et in medium proferre aliquid, Cic. Fin. 2, 23, 76: cur ea non profitenda putabas? Ov. H. 21, 129.—
c With obj. clause : profitentur Carnutes, se nullum periculum recusare, Caes. B. G. 7, 2; Cic. N. D. 1, 5, 12.—
d With de : de parricidio professum, Suet. Calig. 12: de semet professo, id. Dom. 8.—
II In partic.
A Profiteri se aliquem, to declare one's self or profess to be something: profiteri se grammaticum, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 12; Poët. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 26, 42; profiteri se patrem infantis, Suet. Calig. 25: se legatum, id. Galb. 10: se candidatum consulatūs, id. Aug. 4: professus amicum, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 2.—With esse : triduo me jure consultum esse profitebor, Cic. Mur. 13, 28: me omnium provinciarum defensorem esse profitebor, id. Verr. 2, 3, 93, § 217.—
B Profiteri aliquid, to profess an art, science, etc.: profiteri philosophiam, to declare one's self a philosopher , Cic. Pis. 29, 71; medicinam, to profess medicine , to practise as a physician , Cels. praef.; Suet. Caes. 42; jus, Ov. A. A. 3, 531.—In pass. : rem non professam apud nos tenemus, Quint. Decl. 341. — Absol. : profiteri, to be a teacher or professor (post-Aug.): cum omnes qui profitentur, audiero, Plin. Ep. 2, 18, 3: translatus est in Siciliam, ubi nunc profitetur, id. ib. 4, 11, 14.—
C Profiteri indicium, to give evidence , make a deposition against accomplices: multis hortantibus indicium profitetur, Sall. J. 35, 6; Auct. B. Afr. 55, Curt. 8, 6, 23; Plin. Ep. 3, 16, 9: summum supplicium decernebatur, ni professus indicium foret, Tac. A. 6, 3.—
D To offer freely , propose voluntarily , to promise : quis profitetur? who volunteers? Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 20: se ad eam rem adjutorem, Caes. B. G. 5, 38: ego vero tibi profiteor atque polliceor eximium et singulare meum studium in omni genere officii, Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 4: si vos in eam rem operam vestram profitemini, id. Rosc. Am. 53, 153: Varro profitetur se alterā die ad colloquium venturum, Caes. B. C. 3, 19: sumunt gentiles arma professa manus, arms that promise a combat , Ov. F. 2, 198: magna, Hor. A. P. 14; Ov. F. 5, 351: grandia, Hor. A. P. 27.—
E To disclose , show , display , make a show of; dolorem, Just. 8, 5, 11: sola Jovem Semele vidit Jovis ora professum, Nemes. Ecl. 3, 22: vitate viros cultum formamque professos, Ov. A A. 3, 433.—
F To make a public statement or return of any thing (as of one's name, property, business, etc.): censum (one's estate), Ulp. Fragm. 1, 8; Tab. Her. in Haubold, Mon. Leg. p. 99 sq. (q. v.): ut aratores jugera sationum suarum profiterentur, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 15, § 38: apud decemviros, quantum habeat praedae, id. Agr. 2, 22, 59: greges ovium ad publicanum, Varr. R. R. 2, 1: frumentum, Liv. 4, 12: furtum, Quint. Decl. 341: rem alienam, id. ib. 341: rem apud publicanum, id. ib. 359; Dig. 39, 4, 16, § 12.— Absol. : ne decipiat (publicanus) profiteri volentes, Dig. 39, 4, 19, § 6; Vulg. Luc. 2, 3 and 5: nomen, to give in one's name , announce one's self , Liv. 26, 18; also without nomen : Catilina prohibitus erat petere consulatum, quod intra legitimos dies profiteri nequiverit, Sall. C. 18, 3: nam et quaesturam petentes, quos indignos judicavit, profiteri vetuit, Vell. 2, 92, 3: professae (sc. feminae), i. e. common prostitutes , who had to give in their names to the aedile, Ov. F. 4, 866.—Trop.: in his nomen suum profitetur, among these he reckons himself , Ter. Eun. 3.
XIII —Hence, prŏ-fessus , a, um, P. a., in passive signif., known , manifest , confessed (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): culpa professa, Ov. Am. 3, 14, 6: dux, Just. 8, 4, 4.—Ex or de professo, openly , avowedly , intentionally , professedly : non ex professo eam (potentiam) non petere, Sen. Ep. 14, 8: vir ex professo mollis, Macr S. 2, 9.—De professo (postclass.): ac ne id quidem de professo audet, openly , Ap. Mag. p. 274, 11.