confess

[ kuhn-fes ]

/ kənˈfɛs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR confess ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, weakness, etc.) by way of revelation.

to own or admit as true: I must confess that I haven't read the book.

to declare or acknowledge (one's sins), especially to God or a priest in order to obtain absolution.

(of a priest) to hear the confession of (a person).

to acknowledge one's belief or faith in; declare adherence to.

to reveal by circumstances.

verb (used without object)

to make confession plead guilty; own: to confess to a crime.

to make confession of sins, especially to a priest.

(of a priest) to hear confession.

Nearby words

conferencing, conferential, conferral, conferree, conferva, confess, confessant, confessed, confessedly, confession, confession of faith

Origin of confess

1300–50; Middle English confessen < Anglo-French, Old French confesser < Medieval Latin confessāre, verbal derivative of Latin confessus, past participle of confitērī to admit, confess, equivalent to con- con- + -fitērī, combining form of fatērī to admit

SYNONYMS FOR confess

2 grant, concede.

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ANTONYMS FOR confess

1 conceal.

2 deny.

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Related forms

con·fess·a·ble, adjectivecon·fess·ingly, adverbhalf-con·fessed, adjectivepre·con·fess, verb (used with object)

un·con·fessed, adjectiveun·con·fess·ing, adjective

Synonym study

1. See acknowledge.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for confess

And, again, I now confess, I had an occasional Bourbon and stoogie on the cuff.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I will now confess that I spent some time in the lobby of the Willard Hotel myself.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spitz “persuaded Schwend that his best chance would be to confess his activities with the RSHA and to cooperate with us.”
On the Trail of Nazi Counterfeiters|Dr. Kevin C. Ruffner|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During their incarceration, they were humiliated and forced to confess on national television.
Iran Court Sentences ‘Happy’ Dancers to 6 months and 91 Lashes|IranWire|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I confess a particular weakness for his chocolate biscuits and pork pate with onion marmalade.
Imagining Prince Charles as King Makes All of Britain Wish They Could Leave Like Scotland|Clive Irving|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I confess I was almost startled on seeing them with a number of brilliant looking snakes.
On the Banks of the Amazon|W.H.G. Kingston
At morning this was very pleasant; at evening, I confess I was generally too tired with the excitements of the day to think it so.
Summer on the Lakes, in 1843|S.M. Fuller
After a third attempt I desisted, not a little hurt, I confess, but not in the least inclined to quarrel with him.
Wilfrid Cumbermede|George MacDonald
Bring him away, Jug: yet the villain would not confess a word, till it was found about him.
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12 (of 15)|Robert Dodsley
That may be but little, I confess, for I tell you our ignorance is great.
The Missing Ship|W. H. G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for confess

confess

/ (kənˈfɛs) /

verb (when tr, may take a clause as object)

(when intr, often foll by to) to make an acknowledgment or admission (of faults, misdeeds, crimes, etc)

(tr) to admit or grant to be true; concede

Christianity, mainly RC Church to declare (one's sins) to God or to a priest as his representative, so as to obtain pardon and absolution

Derived Formsconfessable, adjective

Word Origin for confess

C14: from Old French confesser, from Late Latin confessāre, from Latin confessus confessed, from confitērī to admit, from fatērī to acknowledge; related to Latin fārī to speak

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for confess

confess

late 14c., from Old French confesser (transitive and intransitive), from Vulgar Latin *confessare, from Latin confess-, past participle stem of confiteri "to acknowledge," from com- "together" (see com-) + fateri "to admit," akin to fari "speak" (see fame (n.)).

Its original religious sense was of one who avows his religion in spite of persecution or danger but does not suffer martyrdom. Old French confesser thus had a figurative sense of "to harm, hurt, make suffer." Related: Confessed; confessing. An Old English word for it was andettan.

confess

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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Origin of confess

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British Dictionary definitions for confess

confess

verb (when tr, may take a clause as object)

Word Origin for confess

Word Origin and History for confess

confess

confess

.css-1gxch3{color:#1a1a1a;font-size:18px;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;}verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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confess

Word Origin for confess

Word Origin and History for confess

confess

verb (used with object)

British Dictionary definitions for confess