confessional

1 of 3

noun (1)

con·​fes·​sion·​al kən-ˈfe-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: a place where a priest hears confessions

2

: the practice of confessing to a priest

confessional

2 of 3

adjective

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

confessionalism

kən-ˈfe-sh(ə-)nə-ˌli-zəm 

noun

confessionalist

kən-ˈfe-sh(ə-)nə-list 

noun

confessionally

kən-ˈfe-sh(ə-)nə-lē 

adverb

confessionalism

3 of 3

noun (2)

con·​fes·​sion·​al·​ism kən-ˈfesh-nə-ˌli-zəm 

-ˈfe-shə-nə-

plural -s

: the principle that a church should have a confession of faith : devotion or adherence to a confession of faith

Examples of confessional in a Sentence

Adjective

confessional interviews of famous actors

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His metier is bedroom pop that’s as influenced by indie confessionals as R&B valentines. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026

The episode themes are also presented through confessionals featuring unfiltered one-liners, personal revelations and rapid-fire commentary. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026

Adjective

Her hyper-confessional nature—her willingness to express literally any random thought that came to her head—hasn’t changed. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 23 June 2026

As season 8 came to a close, Lydia, 22, and Zac found themselves back in the spotlight — not because of another tense family meeting, but because of how one confessional moment was perceived by fans. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably borrowed from French confessional (short for chaire confessionale, siège confessional, literally, "confessional seat"), noun derivative of confessional, adjective, "constituting or used for a confession," borrowed from Medieval Latin confessiōnālis, from Latin confessiōn-, confessiō confession + -ālis -al entry 1

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin confessiōnālis "constituting or used for a confession" — more at confessional entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for confessional

• compressional
• concessional
• congressional
• obsessional
• processional
• professional
• recessional
• successional
• interprofessional
• paraprofessional
• semiprofessional
• nonprofessional

Kids Definition

confessional

noun

con·​fes·​sion·​al

kən-ˈfesh-(ə-)nəl

1

: the enclosed place in which a priest sits and hears confessions

2

: the practice of confessing to a priest