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confession

n.
US //kənˈfɛʃən// UK //kənfˈɛʃən// con·fes·sion
  1. 1 admitting a fault (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the act of telling the truth about something bad or secret you did.

    the voluntary admission of a fault, crime, or secret. Often used with the verb 'make'.

    Example

    After hours of questioning, he finally made a full confession to the police.

    Example

    The suspect's confession was eventually thrown out of court because the defense proved it had been obtained under extreme duress.
  2. 2 religious ritual (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Religion

    telling your sins to a priest in order to be forgiven.

    the ritual disclosure of sins to a priest for the purpose of receiving absolution.

    Example

    He went to confession every Saturday to seek peace of mind.

    Example

    In many Christian traditions, the seal of confession prohibits a priest from revealing anything discussed during the sacrament.
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  1. 3 statement of faith (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Religion

    a formal statement of what a person or a group believes.

    a formal statement of religious doctrine or a profession of faith.

    Example

    The church members stood to recite their confession of faith together.

    Example

    The Augsburg Confession remains one of the most significant documents of the Protestant Reformation, outlining the primary theological tenets of the movement.
  2. 4 declaring love (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    telling someone that you have romantic feelings for them.

    the act of professing romantic feelings or love to another person.

    Example

    She was nervous before her confession of love, but he felt the same way.

    Example

    The protagonist's sudden confession of love at the end of the film provided the emotional resolution the audience had been expecting.
Origin

From Middle English confessioun, from Old French confession, from Latin cōnfessiō, cōnfessiōnem (“confession, acknowledgment, creed or avowal of one's faith”). Displaced native Old English andetnes. Doublet of confessio. Morphologically confess + -ion. Sense 6 is a calque of 告白 (kokuhaku).

Word family

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