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, confessed, 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 confessed

As for the search, which will soon resume, Soelisto confessed that “the capability of our equipment is not optimum.”
Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501?|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After lunch one day, Hollande drove her back to her hotel in Limoges (he was headed to Tulle) and confessed his love.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex|Lizzie Crocker|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hollande confessed, saying he supported his ex-wife because of his children.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex|Lizzie Crocker|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hours later, he confessed to having shot his girlfriend out of jealousy.
The Shocking Death of Miss Honduras|Romina Ruiz-Goiriena|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He confessed after six hours of questioning, and was convicted despite the fact DNA from the crime scene implicated someone else.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I really don't know exactly what he is," he confessed again.
The Bright Messenger|Algernon Blackwood
The priest, to whom she had confessed, could not be forgiven for having doubted whether she were a good Christian.
The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2)|Anatole France
"I don't know what ails that child," confessed puzzled Dr. Bennett.
The Adopting of Rosa Marie|Carroll Watson Rankin
Some days later the kitten appeared with a huge pink bow behind its ears, somewhat awkwardly tied, if it must be confessed.
Miss Billy|Eleanor H. Porter
It must be confessed that I have also more knowledge of men and the secret contempt—it must be—the best of them entertain for us.
Diana of the Crossways, Complete|George Meredith

British Dictionary definitions for confessed

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 confessed (1 of 2)

confessed

adj.

"self-acknowledged," 1560s, past participle adjective from confess.

Word Origin and History for confessed (1 of 2)

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)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of confess

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for confessed

British Dictionary definitions for confessed

confess

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

Word Origin for confess

Word Origin and History for confessed (1 of 2)

confessed

Word Origin and History for confessed (1 of 2)

confess