confession

noun

con·​fes·​sion kən-ˈfe-shən 

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

Synonyms

• acknowledgment
• acknowledgement
• admission
• avowal
• concession
• self-confession

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

His trial attorney argued his confession was coerced and that Gaono took the rap for other members of his gang. —Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025

Then suddenly, a confession, a conflict, a conversation becomes a revelation, and the whole thing blossoms, unfolding to reveal the tender inner petals of life. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025

Mark Maxson, who alleged he was beaten into a false confession by detectives who had once worked under notorious former Cmdr. —Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025

Although the victims never contacted police, Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges obtained a confession from Muller in another bizarre twist in a case that has been full of them for years, a spokesperson for Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton's office told Fox News Digital. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing confession

• self-confession

Kids Definition

confession

noun

con·​fes·​sion kən-ˈfesh-ən 

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.