The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

--v. 4 debase, contaminate, pollute, taint, vitiate, degrade,
defile, desecrate, violate, pervert, corrupt: They swore
undying retribution against those who had profaned their temple.
profanity n. blasphemy, obscenity, cursing, curse-word(s), swearing,
swear-word(s), foul or bad or dirty or vulgar or coarse or
filthy or smutty or taboo language, four-letter word(s),
billingsgate: The film was held to be unfit for broadcasting as
it contained so much obscenity and profanity.
profess v. 1 assert, claim, aver, asseverate, state, affirm, confirm,
confess, declare, say, hold, maintain, present, offer, proffer,
tender, set forth, put forward, pronounce, enounce, enunciate,
announce, utter, vow, avow: He professed himself satisfied with
the judge's decision. 2 pretend, lay claim, make a pretence,
purport, act as if, simulate: They professed to be legitimate
businessmen, but I was always suspicious.
professed adj. 1 pretended, ostensible, apparent, alleged, purported,
so-called, would-be, self-styled, soi-disant(e): He was a
professed wine 'expert' but the bottle he recommended turned out
to be awful. 2 confessed, avowed, sworn, admitted, acknowledged,
confirmed, certified, declared: What do you do when a professed
friend betrays you?
profession
n. 1 occupation, calling, work, field, vocation, employment,
m‚tier, trade, business, craft, line, sphere, speciality or US
specialty, job, position, post, situation, Slang racket: I know
that she's a doctor, but what is her husband's profession? 2
confession, affirmation, statement, avowal, assertion,
asseveration, declaration, acknowledgement, testimony, averment,
admission, announcement: I was uncertain whether to believe his
professions of love.
professional
adj. 1 trained, educated, practised, veteran, experienced,
seasoned, able, skilled, skilful, gifted, talented, qualified,
knowledgeable, licensed, official, expert, masterful, masterly,
master, efficient, adept, proficient, competent, polished,
finished: He is a professional ambulance driver who has to work
as a plumber to make ends meet. 2 excellent, proficient,