confessional

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

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: confessional in a Sentence

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 confessionals in this place must be standing room only.

— martin brennan, New York Times, "Review: Sinfulness and Scares Behind ‘The Devil’s Doorway’," 12 July 2018
All that raw confessional candor can take its toll, though.

— john adamian, courant.com, "Britney Spears, Tory Lanez, Kimya Dawson: Seven Concert Highlights," 7 July 2018
Faid, 46, is an avid fan of caper films, the author of a confessional book about his life of crime — and a serial robber of banks and armored trucks.

— Fox News, "Drones buzzed French prison months before spectacular escape," 2 July 2018
Before there were seagulls, sisters, orchards or late-night vodka confessionals, there was Anton Chekhov’s 1887 play about a superfluous man torn between his tubercular wife and his landowner’s daughter.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "9 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 7 June 2018
Tonight, both Dom and Chris tried to take out the other in a thrilling episode of Survivor filled with strategy, drama, bad rapping, and hilarious confessionals.

— stephen fishbach, PEOPLE.com, "Stephen Fishbach's Survivor Blog: A Thrilling Merge Brings Strategy, Drama & Questionable Rapping," 11 Apr. 2018
The same can be said for Beyoncé and Jay-Z's lush joint album Everything Is Love, the finale in a trilogy that includes the raucous confessional Lemonade and the more laissez-faire 4:44.

— ira madison iii, GQ, "Everything Is Love Review: The Cost of a Monarchy," 19 June 2018
The episode wraps up as a sobbing Magro goes into the confessional room as everyone else goes to bed.

— refinery29.com, "Last Night's Jersey Shore Featured Ronnie Magro's Most Honest Moment In The House," 15 June 2018
What is more remarkable about the novel is its confessional tone.

— ankita chakraborty, Longreads, "A Crocodile In Paris: The Queer Classics of Qiu Miaojin," 8 June 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

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

In fact, with its confessional tone and commentary on the American Dream in the President George W. Bush era, American Life is easily one of Madonna’s better lyrical outings.

— chuck arnold, Billboard, "Madonna's 'American Life': Revisiting the Divisive Album 15 Years Later," 21 Apr. 2018
Tamblyn has a natural ear for colloquial writing, and the strongest parts of the novel belong to Pear and Jamar, two of Maude’s victims who speak in a direct, confessional style.

— steph cha, USA TODAY, "Amber Tamblyn takes on rape culture (with a daring twist) in debut novel, 'Any Man'," 26 June 2018
The detachment of his vision, at odds with the confessional impulse of poems in the 1990s, brought something new and different to American verse.

— wesley mcnair, BostonGlobe.com, "A life of love, poetry — and the Red Sox," 24 June 2018
And, of course, there was the confessional moment in which Monáe opened up to the world after dropping her latest album, Dirty Computer.

— cameron glover, Allure, "On Janelle Monáe and the Power of Representation for Queer Black Girls," 21 June 2018
This important trilogy, then, through its eloquent polyphony of voices and opinions, arrives at an idea of feminist art in opposition to the confessional mode that has long been in ascendance.

— sam sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: The Monologues of Friends and Strangers," 1 June 2018
There’s a distinct lack of melodrama or confessional detail, the self-pity or regret that accompany a broken romance or a broken life.

— greg kot, chicagotribune.com, "Neko Case stomps the terra with the powerful ‘Hell-On’," 1 June 2018
The songs display a vulnerable yet resilient side to Sewell, exhibited by his powerful vocals and confessional lyrics.

— bryan kress, Billboard, "Conrad Sewell Comes 'Clean' on Two New Tracks: Exclusive," 17 May 2018
Risker's lyrics on the new album also move away from the confessional style of her previous work.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "Jessica Risker sharpens her sweet songs on a hazy new album," 18 Apr. 2018