confession

noun

con·​fes·​sion kən-ˈfe-shən 

1

a

: an act of confessing

especially : a disclosure of one's sins in the sacrament of reconciliation

b

: a session for the confessing of sins

go to confession

2

: a statement of what is confessed: such as

a

: a written or oral acknowledgment of guilt by a party accused of an offense

b

: a formal statement of religious beliefs : creed

the Augsburg Confession of the Lutheran Church

3

: an organized religious body having a common creed

Synonyms

• acknowledgment
• acknowledgement
• admission
• avowal
• concession
• self-confession

Examples of confession in a Sentence

She went to the police station and made a full confession.

I have a confession to make: I have never done this before.

The priest will hear confessions after mass today.

I haven't gone to confession in three years.

Recent Examples on the Web

Years after his conviction, new attorneys representing him in his appeal found that prosecutors withheld evidence that would have cleared him: someone else’s confession, witness testimony, forensic evidence that indicated Conley died from an overdose and more. —Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2024

The actress and L’Oréal Paris ambassador, 66 — who has a longstanding partnership with the brand and has attended the Cannes Film Festival for many years — made a surprising confession to PEOPLE during an interview at the festival on Saturday, May 25. —Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024

Image Those who survived to see formal detention were also tortured for confessions, which the courts relied on almost entirely for convictions. —Matthieu Aikins Victor J. Blue Peter Ganim Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 22 May 2024

Cheyenne from Narre Warren in Victoria made the startling confession after calling into the Melbourne breakfast show Fifi, Fev & Nick during its ‘Cashfessional’ segment on Tuesday, May 28. —Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English confessioun, borrowed from Anglo-French confession, borrowed from Latin confessiōn-, confessiō, from confiteor, confitērī "to admit (a fact, the truth of a statement or charge)" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at confess

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing confession

• self-confession

Kids Definition

confession

noun

con·​fes·​sion kən-ˈfesh-ən 

1

a

: an act of confessing

especially : a telling of one's sins to a priest

b

: a meeting for the confessing of sins

go to confession

2

: a statement admitting guilt

the thief signed a confession

3

: a formal statement of religious beliefs : creed

Legal Definition

confession

noun

con·​fes·​sion

1

: an act of confessing

2

: an acknowledgment of a fact or allegation as true or proven

especially : a written or oral statement by an accused party acknowledging the party's guilt (as by admitting commission of a crime) compare admission, declaration against interest at declaration, self-incrimination

Note: Courts differ on how a confession establishes the accused's guilt; for example, in some jurisdictions the confession has to establish all the necessary elements of the crime. In order to be admissible as evidence, a confession must be voluntary. A guilty plea is considered a judicial confession.