confession

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noun con·fes·sion \kən-ˈfe-shən\

Definition of confession

1a : an act of confessing; especially : a disclosure of one's sins in the sacrament of reconciliationb : a session for the confessing of sins go to confession
2 : a statement of what is confessed: such asa : a written or oral acknowledgment of guilt by a party accused of an offenseb : 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

Gonzalez was convicted in 1995 on the basis of the woman's identification of him and the confession, according to the lawsuit.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Insurance legal fight continues over possible settlement in Waukegan wrongful conviction lawsuit", 4 July 2017
The 709 Crackdown ushered in a humiliating parade of public confessions by lawyers including Wang Yu, Xie Xang and Zhang Kai.

— terry halliday, WSJ, "Why China Fears Lawyers", 27 June 2017
On Thursday, however, a three-judge federal appeals panel affirmed a federal magistrate’s ruling from last summer that Dassey’s confession was coerced.

— yohana desta, VanityFair.com, "Ron Howard, Hollywood Zen Master", 23 June 2017
Much is made of Mozart’s childhood gifts, but here’s a confession from this lifelong Mozart-lover: His first 200 or so works aren’t really that special, other than the fact that a boy composed them.

— christian hertzog, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Augustin Hadelich, orchestra astounding in Mainly Mozart concert", 23 June 2017
On Thursday, a three-judge federal appeals panel ruled that the confession was improperly obtained, and the state of Wisconsin must either retry Dassey or release him from prison.

— monique judge, The Root, "Judges Rule ‘Making a Murderer’ Confession Was Improperly Obtained", 23 June 2017
But the judge said new evidence supports Floyd's claim that police beat him to coerce a confession.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Man jailed for 36 years walks free after federal judge tosses murder conviction", 23 June 2017
From PEN: Make Marshmallow-Stuffed Hot Cocoa Cookies Ree’s originally launched her blog in 2006 under the title Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, featuring mostly recipes.

— liam berry, PEOPLE.com, "The First Issue of Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond's Magazine Nearly Sold Out in One Week", 20 June 2017
Francis had been convicted by an all-white jury for murdering a white man based on a confession given without a lawyer present.

— abigail hauslohner and emily guskin, chicagotribune.com, "Race in rural America: Physical separation 'has an effect on your thinking'", 18 June 2017

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

CONFESSION Defined for English Language Learners

confession

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noun

Definition of confession for English Language Learners

: 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

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noun con·fes·sion \kən-ˈfe-shən\

Definition of confession for Students

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

Legal Definition of confession

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

Additional Notes on confession

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.