confession

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 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

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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

But the songs turn and twist in surprising ways, and the singer undercuts his every rebellious slogan with confessions about his own complicity. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Political Punk Rock That Protests Its Own Singer," 21 June 2019 The four episodes are neatly structured: the first covers the coerced confessions; the second, the trial; the third, the imprisonment and eventual release of the four boys, along with their complicated attempts to reënter society. — Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, "How “When They See Us” and “Chernobyl” Make Us Look," 17 June 2019 True confession: Riding around Eugene and neighboring Springfield was nostalgic for me. — Scott Mcmurren, Anchorage Daily News, "In Eugene, Oregon, a good mood is ‘just a bike ride away’," 15 June 2019 Gisele Bündchen's new book is full of candid confessions, including one about plastic surgery from the notoriously private supermodel. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Gisele Bündchen Just Revealed That She Got a Boob Job—And She Regrets It," 26 Sep. 2018 But even if there was a confession, murder charges likely wouldn’t be filed if authorities determined the mother solicited, aided, abetted or consented to the act that led to the fetus death, the news station reported. — Crystal Hill, sacbee, "Pregnant woman had boyfriend punch her in stomach, cops say. It may not be a crime.," 29 June 2018 Once that deadline passed, no one could be charged for the crime — even with an unsolicited confession, and even if the perpetrator begged for it. — Ruth Padawer, New York Times, "Should Statutes of Limitations for Rape Be Abolished?," 19 June 2018 And with a confession but still without a clear motive, journalists were trying to put Conditt in some kind of context. — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "Austin bombing victim had that Rembrandt light," 23 Mar. 2018 The mother contacted police immediately with her daughter's confession. — Alyssa Fiorentino, Woman's Day, "Law & Order SVU Helped Catch A Young Girl's Attacker," 12 Feb. 2015

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.

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9 Jul 2019

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The first known use of confession was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for confession

confession

noun

English Language Learners Definition of confession

: 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

See the full definition for confession in the English Language Learners Dictionary

confession

noun

con·fes·sion | \ kən-ˈfe-shən

Kids Definition of confession

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

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

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

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.