confessional

noun con·fes·sion·al \ kən-ˈfesh-nəl , -ˈfe-shə-nᵊl \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of confessional

1 : a place where a priest hears confessions

2 : the practice of confessing to a priest

See confessional defined for English-language learners

See confessional defined for kids

Recent Examples of confessional from the Web

The meeting turned into a confessional, with students going around the table, sharing their fears, wiping away tears.

— gabriel thompson, Longreads, "Coachella, Underground," 12 Apr. 2018
Some, with a hushed confessional tone, have even dared to express doubts on whether this treatment will be effective.

— lisa pawlak, chicagotribune.com, "In a drab waiting room before yet another cancer treatment, a mother ponders the future," 10 Apr. 2018
Santini's solo skit show, My Cosmic Blowout, pushes so far into the confessional and the therapeutic that bits of it sound like self-help affirmations.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "My Cosmic Blowout is Analisha Santini's wild and witty confessional," 6 Apr. 2018
And he's later seen crying during an on-camera confessional.

— rose minutaglio, Good Housekeeping, ""Long Island Medium" Theresa Caputo on Life After Her Split From Larry," 5 Apr. 2018
The play is part confessional, part stand up, and part reckoning.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "'Natural Shocks' to be hosted by Main Street Theater on April 20," 29 Mar. 2018
But unlike many other reality TV shows, there are no confessionals, in-the-moment interviews, or technology bans.

— mariah smith, The Cut, "Nothing Can Terrace Apart: A Terrace House Recap," 22 Mar. 2018
And during a Friday appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Red Sparrow star only continued her confessional streak.

— megan mccluskey, Time, "Jennifer Lawrence Settles the Age-Old Debate of Whether Liam Hemsworth or Bradley Cooper Is a Better Kisser," 2 Mar. 2018
With that, the interview became something closer to a confessional.

— barbara bradley hagerty, The Atlantic, "Can You Prove Your Innocence Without DNA?," 6 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of confessional

1727

confessional

adjective

Definition of confessional

1 : of, relating to, or being a confession especially of faith

2 a : intimately autobiographical

confessional fiction

b : characterized by unguarded openness or self-revelation

We live in a confessional culture, provoked by social media and the internet and the warmth of the human impulse to share and … commiserate.
—Megan Garber

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confessionalism

play \kən-ˈfesh-nə-ˌli-zəm, -ˈfe-shə-nə-ˌli-\ noun

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confessionalist

play \kən-ˈfesh-nə-list, -ˈfe-shə-nə-list\ noun

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confessionally

play \kən-ˈfesh-nə-lē, -ˈfe-shə-nᵊl-\ adverb

See confessional defined for English-language learners

Examples of confessional in a Sentence

confessional interviews of famous actors

Recent Examples of confessional from the Web

Adult Mom opened with a simple set of confessional indie-rock that broke no molds.

— franklin soults, BostonGlobe.com, "Lucy Dacus turns understatement into something beguiling," 12 Apr. 2018
The confessional spirit of Eric Rohmer, the late French auteur revered for his wise, talky relationship studies, hovers insistently over the proceedings.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Unhappy lives and lacerating truths in Alex Ross Perry's exquisite 'Golden Exits'," 15 Feb. 2018
Delivered in a measured baritone, Mr. Frank’s monologues — tragic, philosophical and sometimes confessional excursions that trod the line between fact and fiction — brought listeners into unusual territory.

— richard sandomir, New York Times, "Joe Frank, Spinner of Strange Radio Tales, Is Dead at 79," 19 Jan. 2018
Still, the focus here remains the lyrics, which seem to flow unbidden from Elverum in long streams of hyper-detailed, confessional free verse.

— terence cawley, BostonGlobe.com, "On ‘Now Only,’ Mount Eerie peers into a void," 14 Mar. 2018
That’s the premise of TED and Audible’s compelling new confessional show, which features an array of guests whose identities are hidden, but whose inner selves are laid bare.

— emma dibdin, Esquire, "The 20 Best Podcasts of 2017," 15 Dec. 2017
And confessional pieces like Thomas’s, written by N.H.L. also-rans and Brazilian soccer stars alike, have regularly gone viral.

— amos barshad, New York Times, "What Happens When Athletes Do the Sportswriting?," 21 Feb. 2018
Young female voices are a big part of the current #metoo movement, but as part of the New York indie punk duo Diet Cig, singer-songwriter Alex Luciano’s fresh, confessional lyrics and in-your-face delivery pre-dated the current momentum.

— courtney devores, charlotteobserver, "The right band at the right time, Diet Cig’s confessional punk fits the #metoo gen | Charlotte Observer," 21 Feb. 2018
And if her husband Jay Z’s recently released confessional album 4:44 is any indicator, perhaps feminism helped Bey find her power when she was confronted with an unfaithful partner.

— brittney cooper, Cosmopolitan, "Why Feminism Needed Beyonce," 14 Feb. 2018