confession

noun

con·​fes·​sion kən-ˈfe-shən How to pronounce confession (audio)
1
a
: 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

Example Sentences

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 Nassar informed his lawyer, F. Lee Bailey, of DeSalvo's confession. Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 17 Mar. 2023 For instance, the erotic, bluesy song that Conley performs with a chain gang is actually a quasi-confession, simultaneously gorgeous and appalling, particularly as sung by the astonishing Grayson. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2023 The contents of Laundrie's drybag included a handwritten confession, published first by Fox News Digital over the summer. Fox News, 7 Mar. 2023 There is no such thing as a coincidence in Southern Baptist confession of faith. Deborah Netburn Los Angeles Times (tns), al, 1 Mar. 2023 For prosecutors, that lie underpins a case where investigators haven’t presented the weapons used to kill the victims, a confession, surveillance video or clothes covered in blood. Jeffrey Collins, ajc, 24 Feb. 2023 Kessler reiterated that the jury will not hear evidence of a confession by Clements or any physical or forensic evidence connecting him to the crime scene during the trial. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 15 Feb. 2023 Maybe that explains the movie's failure to catch on with audiences: For all its crowd-pleasing elements, there's a discomforting ring of confession here, too. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 4 Feb. 2023 For prosecutors, that lie underpins a case where investigators haven’t presented the weapons used to kill the victims, a confession, surveillance video or clothes covered in blood. Jeffrey Collins, ajc, 24 Feb. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English confessioun, borrowed from Anglo-French confession, borrowed from Latin confessiōn-, confessiō, from confiteor, confitērī "to admit (a fact, the truth of a statement or charge)" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at confess

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near confession

Cite this Entry

“Confession.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confession. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

confession

noun
con·​fes·​sion kən-ˈfesh-ən How to pronounce confession (audio)
1
a
: an act of confessing
especially : a telling of one's sins to a priest
b
: a meeting for the confessing of sins
go to confession
2
: a statement admitting guilt
the thief signed a confession
3
: a formal statement of religious beliefs : creed

Legal Definition

confession

noun
con·​fes·​sion
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on confession

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