Professedly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /pɹəˈfɛsɪdli/

Definitions

1. In a manner that openly claims a belief or opinion that might not be authentic
2. In a way that clearly states a belief or intention, even if it may not be genuine
3. Expressing something openly as one's belief or stance, regardless of its authenticity

Etymology: Professedly is a plain formation: the adjective "professed" with the suffix "-ly" added. The adjective itself goes back through Middle English to the Latin verb "profiteri," meaning to declare openly, and the suffix has a longer story of its own. The "-ly" ending descends from an Old English form "-līċe," which was built from the noun "līc," meaning body or form, and it originally carried the sense "having the form or appearance of." Over centuries that sense of appearance weakened into the general adverb-making ending seen in words like "quickly" and "fully." Because "professed" already means openly claimed or avowed, adding "-ly" gives a word meaning "by open claim," as in a person who is professedly honest, meaning someone who openly claims to be so, whether or not that claim is true. The suffix adds no new idea of its own; it simply turns the adjective into a description of the manner in which something is stated.

Synonyms: ostensibly, allegedly, supposedly