confession

American  

[kuhn-fesh-uhn] / kənˈfɛʃ ən /

noun

1. acknowledgment; avowal; admission.

   a confession of incompetence.

2. acknowledgment or disclosure of sin or sinfulness, especially to a priest to obtain absolution.

3. something that is confessed.

4. a formal, usually written, acknowledgment of guilt by a person accused of a crime.

5. Also called confession of faith.  a formal profession of belief and acceptance of doctrines, as before being admitted to church membership.

6. the tomb of a martyr or confessor or the altar or shrine connected with it.

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confession British  

/ kənˈfɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of confessing

2. something confessed

3. an acknowledgment or declaration, esp of one's faults, misdeeds, or crimes

4. Christianity RC Church the act of a penitent accusing himself or herself of his or her sins

5. a formal public avowal of religious beliefs

6. a religious denomination or sect united by a common system of beliefs

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confession Cultural  

1. In some church es, notably the Roman Catholic Church, a sacrament in which repentant sinners individually or as a group privately confess their sins in front of a priest and receive absolution from the guilt of their sins. In the first few centuries of Christianity, repentant sinners were assigned public penances: sinners had to stay outside the entrance of the church and ask the people going inside to pray for them. The period of public penance could be shortened through an indulgence.

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Other Word Forms

• confessionary adjective
• preconfession noun

Etymology

Origin of confession

1350–1400; < Latin confessiōn- (stem of confessiō ), equivalent to confess- ( confess ) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English confessioun < Anglo-French

Example Sentences

“In short, this is a confession of failure,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

When others are making New Year’s resolutions, or are starry-eyed about the prospects of making money, many companies issue earnings preannouncements that are essentially confessions.

From Barron's

In Hammani’s retelling, he relented after four days, applying his thumbprint to a written confession, which he wasn’t allowed to read.

From The Wall Street Journal

The blimp even posted a heartfelt confession about its rigidity on Instagram, on which its account has amassed almost 200,000 followers.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Norhayati's account of this confession was investigated by the human rights commission and eventually ruled as credible.

From BBC

Related Words

• acknowledgment
• admission
• assertion
• concession
• disclosure
• proclamation
• revelation
• statement
• story