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

Legal experts say this is all a strategy to secure a confession and make a trial easier. — Washington Post, "Why Ghosn’s Back in Jail and What It Says About Japan," 18 Sep. 2019 That’s why, for the investigator, a false exculpatory statement is as good as a true confession. — Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, "Trump Was Always the Target of the Russia Investigation," 30 Aug. 2019 Woods, 69, alleges her conviction was based on a confession that was fabricated by detectives. — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "Nevada Woman Who Spent 35 Years in Prison for Murder She Didn't Commit Will Receive $3 Million," 29 Aug. 2019 In its appeal, the state is also challenging Acosta’s reliance on a prior confession of another man, Johnny Crouse. — oregonlive.com, "State files brief challenging judge’s order that demanded release or retrial of Frank Gable," 13 Aug. 2019 When Ames returned to the United States, she was recruited by the FBI to go undercover and secretly record a reunion with Kathy Patrick in hopes of eliciting a confession. — Peter Van Sant, CBS News, "Is justice out of reach for an American teacher murdered in South Korea?," 10 Aug. 2019 The Dry Heart, Ginzburg’s second novel, begins with a blunt confession: The narrator has just killed her husband, Alberto. — Abhrajyoti Chakraborty, The New Republic, "Natalia Ginzburg’s Radical Clarity," 5 Aug. 2019 While imprisoned at the Tombs, Hicks gave a detailed and highly entertaining confession of his life of crime before the hijacking of the Johnson. — Rinker Buck, WSJ, "‘The Last Pirate of New York’ Review: New York’s Original Gangster," 28 June 2019 There was no evidence, just coerced confessions from four of the defendants. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "UCSD professor Anthony Davis’ opera ‘The Central Park Five’ goes where Netflix doesn’t dare," 17 June 2019

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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Last Updated

15 Oct 2019

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Time Traveler for confession

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.