# confess

/kənˈfɛs/ (US) · /kənfˈɛs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/confess
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to admit a crime or mistake

verb · CEFR B2

to admit that you have done something wrong or illegal.

For teachers: to admit to a crime, fault, or error, often under pressure or as a matter of conscience.

- After hours of questioning, the suspect finally confessed to the robbery.
- The defendant eventually confessed to the fraud, providing the authorities with a detailed account of how the funds were diverted.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'to' followed by a noun or gerund.

### 2. to admit a secret or feeling

verb · CEFR B2

to tell someone a secret or a private feeling that you have been hiding.

For teachers: to disclose private thoughts, feelings, or secrets that were previously withheld.

- I have to confess that I haven't actually read the book yet.
- She finally confessed her admiration for his work, admitting she had followed his career since his very first exhibition.

### 3. religious confession

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to tell a priest about the bad things you have done so that God can forgive you.

For teachers: to acknowledge one's sins to God or a priest in order to receive absolution.

- He went to the church every Saturday to confess his sins.
- The penitent knelt in the small wooden booth to confess his transgressions and seek spiritual guidance from the priest.

Usage: Can be used reflexively, as in 'to confess oneself'.

### 4. to hear a confession

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

when a priest listens to someone telling their sins.

For teachers: to hear or receive a confession of sins in a formal religious capacity.

- The priest spent the entire afternoon confessing people in the village.
- During the holy week, the bishop stayed late into the evening to confess the many pilgrims who had travelled to the cathedral.

Usage: In this sense, the priest is the subject and the sinner is the object.

## Examples

- He decided to confess to his parents about the broken window.
- After hours of questioning by the police, the suspect finally agreed to confess to the robbery.
- While some find it difficult to share their failures, she chose to confess her insecurities to her mentor, hoping for honest guidance and support.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.