confessional
Americanadjective
noun
-
the place set apart for the hearing of confessions by a priest.
-
French Furniture. a high, upholstered wing chair of the 18th century.
adjective
noun
-
Christianity RC Church a small stall, usually enclosed and divided by a screen or curtain, where a priest hears confessions
-
a book of penitential prayers
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of confessional
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin confessiōnāle, neuter of confessiōnālis (adjective); see confession, -al 1; confessional defs. 2, 3 from French, from Medieval Latin
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.
Simpson, was produced 10 years after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and just prior to “If I Did It,” perhaps the most arrogant mea culpa in the history of confessional literature.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The 83-year-old confessional lyricist said in a statement that she had "been learning how to live with Parkinson's disease" and that she had also been treated for skin cancer.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Though music was at its heart, stand-up comedian Emily Catalano opened the show, and Bird himself invoked humor throughout his set, slipping self-deprecating quips and confessional anecdotes about each lyric’s meaning in between songs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
She arguably saved her best to last, closing out with her confessional anthem Messy, which secured her the Grammy for best pop solo performance and the breakthrough prize at the Brit Awards earlier this year.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
There were the bimonthly “Heart-to-Hearts,” confessional meetings run by the school chaplain, which invariably ended in paroxysms of hugging and weeping.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
