confess

UK: /kənˈfɛs/ US: /kənˈfɛs/ ,(kən fes′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

con•fess /kənˈfɛs/   v. 

1. to acknowledge or admit (a fault, etc.): [~ + object]
   confessed his guilt to the police.
   [~ + to + object]
   He confessed to the crime.
   [~ + (that) clause]
   confessed (that) he was the killer.
2. to admit as true;
   concede:
   [~ + (that) clause] I must confess (that) I haven't read the book.
3. Religion to declare or acknowledge (one's sins), esp. to God or to a priest: [~ + object]
   He confessed his sins to the priest.
   [no object]
   He confessed every day.

con•fess•a•ble, adj. See -fess-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

con•fess  (kən fes′), v.t. 

1. to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, weakness, etc.) by way of revelation.
2. to own or admit as true:
   I must confess that I haven't read the book.
3. Religion to declare or acknowledge (one's sins), esp. to God or a priest in order to obtain absolution.
4. Religion (of a priest) to hear the confession of (a person).
5. to acknowledge one's belief or faith in;
   declare adherence to.
6. to reveal by circumstances.

v.i. 

7. to make confession;
   plead guilty;
   own:
   to confess to a crime.
8. Religion to make confession of sins, esp. to a priest.
9. Religion (of a priest) to hear confession.

• Medieval Latin confessāre, verb, verbal derivative of Latin confessus, past participle of confitērī to admit, confess, equivalent. to con- con- + -fitērī, combining form of fatērī to admit
• Anglo-French, Old French confesser
• Middle English confessen 1300–50

con•fess′a•ble, adj. 
con•fess′ingly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. See acknowledge. 
• 2. grant, concede.

Antonyms

• 1. conceal.
• 2. deny.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

confess / kənˈfɛs/ verb (when tr, may take a clause as object)

1. when intr, often followed by to: to make an acknowledgment or admission (of faults, misdeeds, crimes, etc)
2. (transitive) to admit or grant to be true; concede
3. to declare (one's sins) to God or to a priest as his representative, so as to obtain pardon and absolution

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French confesser, from Late Latin confessāre, from Latin confessus confessed, from confitērī to admit, from fatērī to acknowledge; related to Latin fārī to speak