the act of confessing something confessed an acknowledgment or declaration, esp of one's faults, misdeeds, or crimes the act of a penitent accusing himself or herself of his or her sins - confession of faith ⇒
a formal public avowal of religious beliefs a religious denomination or sect united by a common system of beliefs
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•fes•sion /kənˈfɛʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- an act of confessing:[uncountable]Confession is good for the soul.
- Religion something confessed:[countable]the candidate's confessions of wrongdoing.
- a formal acknowledgment of guilt by a person accused of a crime:[countable]He signed his confession and they took him off to the cell.
con•fes•sion
(kən fesh′ən),USA pronunciation n.
- acknowledgment;
avowal;
admission:a confession of incompetence. - Religionacknowledgment or disclosure of sin or sinfulness, esp. to a priest to obtain absolution.
- Religionsomething that is confessed.
- a formal, usually written, acknowledgment of guilt by a person accused of a crime.
- ReligionAlso called confession of faith. a formal profession of belief and acceptance of doctrines, as before being admitted to church membership.
- Religionthe tomb of a martyr or confessor or the altar or shrine connected with it.
- Anglo-French
- Latin confessiōn- (stem of confessiō), equivalent. to confess- (see confess) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English confessioun
- 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::