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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

It is also notable that Ortiz apparently did not report Hatley’s alleged confession to police until Ford tracked him down following Hardee’s statement in 1993.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

It would be easy to take Emma’s confession as a simple cinematic provocation.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

However, in November, Sullivan gave his only media interview to the BBC and claimed he had been "stitched up" after his arrest, including being fed information to make his false confession sound plausible.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Whether it’s Eddie, a friend McCarthy met in high school who resides in Alto, Texas, or Larry, a buddy in Austin, honesty and confession form the bedrock of true male intimacy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

He had not thought a confession required proof.

From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

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