confession

confession — noun

1. a spoken or written statement in which a person admits to having done something

1.nounB1
Definition

a spoken or written statement in which a person admits to having done something bad, especially a crime — for example, telling the police you stole a car, or telling your parents you lied to them.

Example

Hassan made a full confession to the police after two hours of questioning.

collocation: make a confession / full confession

The detective read the suspect's written confession and noted every detail.

collocation: written confession

Common collocations
  • make a confession
  • full confession
  • written confession
  • false confession
  • sign a confession
  • confession of guilt
  • extract a confession
  • murder confession
  • confession statement
Synonyms
  • admission

    less formal than 'confession'; used for both wrongdoing and simply stating a fact ('an admission of guilt' vs 'an admission of defeat')

  • acknowledgment

    more formal; can imply reluctant acceptance of something rather than a voluntary statement

  • disclosure

    focuses on revealing hidden information, not necessarily about guilt or wrongdoing

Antonyms
  • denial

    a statement that something is not true or that you did not do something

Usage Note

Frequently appears in criminal law contexts. A confession can be oral or written; a written confession often carries more legal weight. The word is also used in everyday situations for admitting mistakes, not only crimes.

Common Mistakes

He did a confession to the crime.
He made a confession about the crime.
'make a confession' is the correct collocation, not 'do a confession'.
She confessed that she was lying' (when you mean she was forced to admit).
She gave a confession that she was lying.
'give a confession' is another possible collocation, but in everyday contexts 'made a confession' or 'confessed' (verb) are more natural.

2. in some Christian traditions, especially Catholicism, the practice of privately

2.nounB2
Definition

in some Christian traditions, especially Catholicism, the practice of privately telling a priest of the wrong things you have done and receiving God's forgiveness through the priest's prayer.

Example

Sana went to confession every Saturday evening before Sunday mass.

collocation: go to confession

Father Michael heard Yael's confession and gave her advice about forgiveness.

collocation: hear + confession (priest as subject)

Common collocations
  • go to confession
  • hear confession
  • make your confession
  • seal of the confessional
  • sacrament of confession
Synonyms
  • penance

    the punishment or prayer given by the priest after confession, not the act of confessing itself

  • absolution

    the formal forgiveness granted by the priest, which follows confession

Usage Note

In Roman Catholic teaching, confession is a sacrament — a sacred ritual. The priest who 'hears confession' is bound to keep everything secret (the 'seal of the confessional'). This sense is most often uncountable ('go to confession'), but can be countable when referring to a specific event ('my first confession').

Common Mistakes

I went to confession to admit my crime to the police.
I went to confession to ask the priest for forgiveness.
The religious sense of 'confession' is to a priest, not to police or other authorities.

3. words that openly express what a person or a church community believes about God

3.nounC1
Definition

words that openly express what a person or a church community believes about God and matters of faith.

Example

The old church still uses a confession of faith written in the sixteenth century.

phrase: confession of faith

Valentina wrote her personal confession of faith to read at the baptism ceremony.

phrase: personal confession of faith

Common collocations
  • confession of faith
  • personal confession
  • written confession of faith
  • confessional statement
  • confessional document
Synonyms
  • creed

    a formal statement of religious beliefs, often used for historic Christian statements such as the Nicene Creed; 'creed' is more institutional, while 'confession' can be personal

  • profession of faith

    nearly identical meaning, slightly more formal and public

  • belief system

    broader term that covers any set of principles, not necessarily religious

Usage Note

This sense most often appears in set phrases like 'confession of faith' or 'confessional statement'. It is more formal and theological than the everyday sense of admitting wrongdoing. The word can refer to an individual's personal faith statement or to an official doctrinal document of a church.

Common Mistakes

The criminal signed a confession of faith.
The criminal signed a confession of guilt.
'confession of faith' refers to religious beliefs, not an admission of wrongdoing. Mixing the two senses creates confusion.
Idioms

confession is good for the soul

idiom

a saying meaning that admitting your mistakes or wrongdoings makes you feel better emotionally or spiritually.

Darius finally told his brother the truth about the accident, and confession is good for the soul — he felt much lighter afterwards.

Word family

  • confess
    verbB1
  • confessed
    adjectiveB2
  • confessedly
    adverbC1
  • confessor
    nounC1
  • confessional
    nounC1
  • confessional
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words involve revealing information, but they differ in tone, scope, and context. 'Confession' (B1) strongly implies guilt or wrongdoing, with roots in both legal and religious settings — it carries emotional weight and often suggests the person accepts responsibility. 'Admission' (B1) is broader and less morally loaded: you can admit a mistake, a fact, or a feeling without implying serious wrongdoing ('an admission of fear'). 'Acknowledgment' (B2) is more formal and neutral, used for accepting facts or thanks rather than guilt ('an acknowledgment of receipt'). 'Disclosure' (C1) focuses on revealing hidden information, often in professional or legal settings, without any implication of fault ('disclosure of financial records'). In everyday speech: if you tell your friend you broke their phone, that's a confession. If you tell them you're nervous about their reaction, that's an admission. If you sign a form saying you received a package, that's an acknowledgment. If a company reveals a data breach, that's a disclosure.

confession ↗admission ↗acknowledgmentdisclosure ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • confession box
  • confession booth
  • confession time
  • confession session

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make a confession
  • go to confession
  • sign a confession
  • extract a confession
  • hear a confession
  • confession of guilt
  • confession of faith
  • full confession
  • written confession
  • false confession

Prepositions

  • in a confession
  • without confession
  • under confession

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'confession' comes from Latin 'confessio', meaning 'an acknowledgment' or 'a declaration'. The root is 'confiteri' — formed from 'com-' (an intensive prefix meaning 'thoroughly') and 'fateri' (to admit or to own up). In Latin, 'confessio' was used both in legal contexts (admitting guilt) and religious ones (declaring faith). The word entered English through Old French 'confession' around the 14th century, initially referring to the religious act of confessing sins to a priest. The legal sense of admitting guilt developed alongside it. The third meaning — a formal statement of belief — comes from early Christian usage, where 'confession of faith' referred to publicly declaring one's religious beliefs, especially during baptism or persecution.