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Added 9 October 2026

confession

/kənˈfɛʃən/ noun

In Latin: cōnfessiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about confession at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An admission of misdeeds or faults.
A written document acknowledging an offense and signed by the guilty party.
(Roman Catholic Church) the act of a penitent disclosing his sinfulness before a priest in the sacrament of penance in the hope of absolution.

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).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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