confession

noun con·fes·sion \ kən-ˈfe-shən \

|Updated on: 25 Jun 2018

Examples: confession in a Sentence

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

See confession defined for English-language learners

See confession defined for kids

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 of confession from the Web

Judge who tossed tainted confession to rule if Jackie Wilson should be freed.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "Morning Spin: Rauner praises Trump for executive order halting family separations, calls for immigration reform," 22 June 2018
The Vietnamese authorities are known to coerce detainees into making such public confessions.

— richard c. paddock, New York Times, "U.S. Protester Held in Vietnam Confesses on State Television," 19 June 2018
But the confession statement didn’t match the trial evidence and the jury acquitted Pinkney, who last year received a $750,000 settlement from the city.

— mensah m. dean, Philly.com, "He confessed to 3 murders, but is being tried for 1," 11 June 2018
Hai’s sentencing comes nearly two years after the Wildlife Watch story, which noted that law enforcement officers had yet to arrest any suspects in the case, despite a confession by Hai shortly after the 2014 bust.

— National Geographic, "Turtle Trafficker Sentenced, But Suspected Mastermind Still Not Charged," 8 June 2018
According to Plaisted, the only evidence the jury has to convict Scott of first-degree reckless homicide is the word of Shaw and Scott's original false confession.

— taylor palmby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Jury deliberating in trial of a 19-year-old charged in killing of Milwaukee inspector," 29 May 2018
This high-level confession confirms suspicions that many black South Africans already had.

— chika oduah, The Root, "‘Decolonize the Mind’: Black South Africans Are Figuring Out How to Heal From the Mental Damage of Apartheid," 19 May 2018
On May 4, three days before the trial was to begin, prosecutors finally turned over the D.E.A. report with Mr. Guillen’s confession.

— benjamin weiser, New York Times, "Days Before Murder Trial, Prosecutors Reveal a Missing Confession," 6 June 2018
Thanks to Colton’s confession and Lincoln’s and Connor’s drama, things have gotten really real for Becca.

— Time, "'The Bachelorette' Recap: Becca Goes On An Arie-Themed Date," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confession.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of confession

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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confession Synonyms

CONFESSION Defined for English Language Learners

confession

noun

: a written or spoken statement in which you say that you have done something wrong or committed a crime
: the act of telling people something that makes you embarrassed, ashamed, etc.
: the act of telling your sins to God or to a priest

CONFESSION Defined for Kids

confession

noun con·fes·sion \ kən-ˈfe-shən \

1 : an act of telling of sins or wrong, illegal, or embarrassing acts

2 : a written or spoken admission of guilt of a crime

Law Dictionary

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.