confess en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /kənˈfɛs/
Etymology
From Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“to confess, admit”) from con- + fateor (“to admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten (“to confess, admit”) (from Old English andettan). Doublet of confiteor. Sense 6 is a semantic loan from Japanese 告(こく)白(はく) (kokuhaku).
Meanings
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(intransitive, transitive) To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.
And there confess / Humbly our faults, and pardon beg.
1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:I must confess I was most pleased with a beautiful prospect that none of them have mentioned.
1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:I confess that I am a sinner.
Thirty-six hours later, Perez was on a psychiatric hold in a hospital, having been pressured into confessing he killed his dad and trying to take his own life. […] Judge Gee said the detectives’ tactics “indisputably led to Perez’s subjective confusion and disorientation, to the point that he falsely confessed to killing his father, and tried to take his own life.”
2024 September 5, Rachel Clarke and Shimon Prokupecz, “Police pressured him to confess to a murder that never happened”, in CNN:I confess to spray-painting all over that mural!
I never gave it him. Send for him hither, / And let him confess a truth.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:Sandusky needs to confess his guilt, said an attorney for the person identified in court as Victim No. 4.
2012 October 8, Susan Candiotti and Jason Carroll, “Jerry Sandusky proclaims his innocence in jailhouse audio recording”, in CNN:In an emotional scene captured on police body camera, he repeatedly confesses to Blodgett’s killing, even telling authorities the weapon he used and where he buried the victim’s body, the arrest affidavit states.
2023 June 2, Cheri Mossburg, Andi Babineau and Christal Hayes, “‘I’m just tired of covering it up’: Guilt drives man to confess to murder 15 years after killing, police say”, in CNN:
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(transitive) To acknowledge faith in; to profess belief in.
Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess, also, before my Father which is in heaven.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:32:For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 23:8:
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To unburden (oneself) of sins to God or a priest, in order to receive absolution.
Our beautiful votary took an opportunity of confessing herself to this celebrated father.
1710 September 17 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “WEDNESDAY, September 7, 1710”, in The Spectator, number 1647; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:If we confesse our sinnes, hee is faithfull, & iust to forgiue vs our sinnes, and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 John 1:9:
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(transitive) To hear or receive such a confession of sins from.
A jealous man confesses his wife under a priest's habit, who tells him that she is visited every night by a friar; […]
1867, W. K. Kelly, The Decameron: or ten day's entertainment of Boccaccio. A revised translation:1523–1525, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners (translator), Froissart's Chronicles He […] heard mass, and the prince, his son, with him, and the most part of his company were confessed.
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(transitive) To disclose or reveal.
Tall thriving trees confess;d the fruitful mould.
1725, Homer, “Book VII”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume II, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC:
- (in the context of Japanese media or informal, intransitive) To profess one's love.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| confessing | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| confessed | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| confessed | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| confesses | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Antonyms
disclaim · disown · deny · reject · disavow · abjure
Deriveds
unconfess · confessingly · fess · unconfessing · confessing Sam · confessee · confessant · self-confessed · confessive · stand confessed · nonconfessing · confessable · a fault confessed is half redressed · reconfess · fess up
Hypernyms
Relateds
rat out · confession · confessional · come clean · confessor · own up
Synonyms
tell all · spill one's guts · avow · beknow · own · own up · acknowledge · come clean · talk · spill the beans · confess · front up · admit · sing · concede · assent · shrive · fess up · step forward · fess · unbosom · make a clean breast
Translations (130)
ko 고해 (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ga admhaigh (to admit to the truth) · de verraten (to admit to the truth) · mt qarr (to admit to the truth) · cs přiznat se (to admit to the truth) · mn улайх (to admit to the truth) · da indrømme (to disclose or reveal) · ru призна́ть (to admit to the truth) · ro spovedi (to admit to the truth) · ja 自白する (to admit to the truth) · vi thú nhận (to admit to the truth) · hu vall (to disclose or reveal) · fi tunnustaa (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · el ομολογώ (to acknowledge faith in) · no skrifte (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · cmn 招認 /招认 (to admit to the truth) · tl kumpisal (magkumpisal) (to admit to the truth) · hu vall (to admit to the truth) · tl amin (aminin) (to disclose or reveal) · km សារភាព (to admit to the truth) · cs vyzpovídat se (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · fi tunnustaa (to disclose or reveal) · ca confessar (to admit to the truth) · da bekende (to admit to the truth) · fa خستو شدن (to admit to the truth) · tl mangumpisal (to admit to the truth) · is skrifta (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ru созна́ться (to disclose or reveal) · fi ripittää (to hear or receive a confession of sins from) · ru призна́ться (to admit to the truth) · grc ὁμολογέω (to admit to the truth) · he התוודה (to admit to the truth) · hu gyónik (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ja 告解 (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ru призна́ться (to disclose or reveal) · sv tillstå (to admit to the truth) · el εξομολογώ (to hear or receive a confession of sins from) · fi tunnustaa (to admit to the truth) · de bekennen (to admit to the truth) · cmn 招供 (to admit to the truth) · mt qarr (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · nl bekennen (to admit to the truth) · tr günah çıkarmak (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · gl confesar (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ro mărturisi (to admit to the truth) · bg изповядвам се (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · nl belijden (to acknowledge faith in) · bg изповядвам (to disclose or reveal) · eo allasi (to admit to the truth) · da tilstå (to disclose or reveal) · izh tunnustaa (to admit to the truth) · ga admhaigh (to acknowledge faith in) · cmn 懺悔 /忏悔 (to admit to the truth) · pl przyznać się (to admit to the truth) · ja 告白する (to disclose or reveal) · el παραδέχομαι (to disclose or reveal) · da skrifte (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · th สารภาพ (to admit to the truth) · tr itiraf etmek (to admit to the truth) · arz قر (to admit to the truth) · bg признавам (to disclose or reveal) · gd aidich (to admit to the truth) · mi whāki (to disclose or reveal) · cmn 宣信 (to acknowledge faith in) · fi ilmiantaa (to disclose or reveal) · cs vyznat se (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ar اِعْتَرَفَ (to admit to the truth) · de gestehen (to admit to the truth) · gd aidich (to disclose or reveal) · ru созна́ться (to admit to the truth) · cs zpovídat se (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ru испове́даться (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · bg признавам (to admit to the truth) · it confessare (to admit to the truth) · fr confesser (to acknowledge faith in) · el ομολογώ (to admit to the truth) · la fateor (to admit to the truth) · mi whāki (to admit to the truth) · fr confesser (to admit to the truth) · cs přiznat (to admit to the truth) · nl biechten (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · ru пока́яться (to admit to the truth) · cs doznat se (to admit to the truth) · tl amin (aminin) (to admit to the truth) · gl confesar (to admit to the truth) · ja 告白する (to admit to the truth) · es confesar (to admit to the truth) · pt confessar (to admit to the truth) · fr avouer (to admit to the truth) · ja 認める (to admit to the truth) · hu kivall (to admit to the truth) · got 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (to admit to the truth) · bg изповядвам (to acknowledge faith in) · pt confessar (to disclose or reveal) · ja 告解する (to admit to the truth) · ka გამოტყდომა (to admit to the truth) · fi kertoa ripissä (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · sv bikta (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · eo konfesi (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · pl spowiadać się (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · de beichten (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · hil tuad (to admit to the truth) · hu megvall (to admit to the truth) · cmn 供認 /供认 (to admit to the truth) · no tilstå (to admit to the truth) · sv erkänna (to admit to the truth) · hy խոստովանել (to admit to the truth) · eo konfesi (to admit to the truth) · cmn 承認 /承认 (to admit to the truth) · hu bevall (to admit to the truth) · ru испове́доваться (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · grc ὁμολογέω (to acknowledge faith in) · eo konfesi (to disclose or reveal) · el εξομολογώ (to admit to the truth) · cmn 告解 (to disclose everything to a Catholic priest) · la confiteor (to admit to the truth) · cmn 披露 (to disclose or reveal) · hu elismer (to acknowledge faith in) · pl przyznawać się (to admit to the truth) · cmn 透露 (to disclose or reveal) · hu beismer (to admit to the truth) · da tilstå (to admit to the truth) · el ομολογώ (to disclose or reveal) · hil tuad (to disclose or reveal) · fi tunnustaa (to acknowledge faith in) · ar أَقَرَّ (to admit to the truth) · ga admhaigh (to disclose or reveal) · cmn 坦白 (to admit to the truth) · ang andettan (to admit to the truth) · mn үнэнээ хэлэх (to admit to the truth)