confession

American  

[kuhn-fesh-uhn] / kənˈfɛʃ ən /

noun

• confessions
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• preconfession
  noun
• confessionary
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• confessions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of confession

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

Explanation

A confession is an admission of guilt, fault, or a mistake. You’ve probably seen TV shows or movies where a detective says to a suspect "Confess!" The detective is trying to get a confession, which is a statement that admits some type of guilt. "I killed the mayor!" is a confession. "I forgot your birthday" is a confession. In some religions, confession is a sacrament where people admit their sins and seek forgiveness. When people have something painful to admit, they often start by saying, "I have a confession to make."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

confession confessions

"It was a private issue. According to his confession, it was about money that the... chairman borrowed from him for several years, and he asked for the return of the money several times," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

In 2015, he handed them over to the Libyan Attorney General's Office, who gave a copy of the confession to prosecutors from Scotland's Crown Office two years later.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The confession is unsurprising because the Department of Energy had made almost identical confessions in two previous federal lawsuits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

In a brutally self-aware confession, Yasmina observes, “I carry bitterness for humanity, for relationships and for myself.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

“I would like to hear this confession of yours, Miss Lumley. Do go on.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

The confession is unsurprising because the Department of Energy had made almost identical confessions in two previous federal lawsuits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

At his second trial, jurors asked the judge whether they had to disregard Hernandez’s later confessions if they thought his first confession wasn’t voluntary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Presenters remarked that he would eek out personal confessions and emotional reactions from his guests through his skilful questioning.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Wearing cowboy boots and a handlebar mustache, he had a Texas twang and a quiet, calm presence that disarmed suspects, eliciting confessions.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

Queenie washed back these unlikely confessions with more tea.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

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