confess
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, weakness, etc.) by way of revelation.
- Antonyms:
- conceal
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to own or admit as true.
I must confess that I haven't read the book.
- Antonyms:
- deny
-
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.
verb
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to make an acknowledgment or admission (of faults, misdeeds, crimes, etc)
-
(tr) to admit or grant to be true; concede
-
Christianity RC Church to declare (one's sins) to God or to a priest as his representative, so as to obtain pardon and absolution
Synonym Usage
See acknowledge.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preconfessverb (used with object)
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confessinglyadverb
-
unconfessingadjective
-
half-confessedadjective
-
confessableadjective
-
unconfessedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have confessedperfect
-
has confessedperfect 3rd person singular
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are confessingprogressive
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has been confessingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am confessingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is confessingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
confessingparticiple
-
have been confessingperfect progressive
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confessessingular 3rd person
Past
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had confessedperfect
-
had been confessingperfect progressive
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confessedsimple
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were confessingprogressive plural
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was confessingprogressive singular
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confessedparticiple
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
When you confess, you admit to doing something wrong. You might feel guilty about eating the entire platter of chocolate chip cookies and confess to your mom before she notices. If she presses charges, you would confess to the cookie crime. Confess can be used to describe admitting to committing a crime. If you watch crime shows on TV, you've likely seen detectives trying to get a suspect to confess. Confess can also be used in a religious context. Catholics confess their sins to a priest on a regular basis. Don't confuse the word confess with apology. An apology involves expressing regret about something. When you confess, you're merely owning up to doing it — you might not be sorry.
Vocabulary lists containing confess
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act IV
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
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"America"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first was that a key witness, one who claimed he had heard Whitton confess to the crime while in prison, had lied to the court about having a criminal record.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
Hoping to confess his feelings and win her over, Bear buys Nikki a trinket at a head shop, a One Wish Willow, which the clerk warns can’t be returned.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
And this is where I, an outsider, confess to not being entirely objective.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
But on 6 August last year, 999 operators received a strange and alarming call from the boy - who said he had decided to confess after being unable to escape his back garden.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
“But I must confess, I have had quite enough sightseeing for one day.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
