confess

English

Etymology

From Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Medieval Latin confessō (“I confess”), a derivative of Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“I confess, I admit”) from con- + fateor (“I admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten (“to confess, admit”) (from Old English andettan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kənˈfɛs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛs

Verb

confess (third-person singular simple present confesses, present participle confessing, simple past and past participle confessed)

2. To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.

   I confess to spray-painting all over that mural!

   I confess, that I am a sinner.

   • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare

     I never gave it him. Send for him hither, / And let him confess a truth.

   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     And there confess / Humbly our faults, and pardon beg.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Addison

     I must confess I was most pleased with a beautiful prospect that none of them have mentioned.

3. To acknowledge faith in; to profess belief in.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Bible, Matthew x. 32

     Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess, also, before my Father which is in heaven.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Bible, Acts xxiii. 8

     For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

4. (religion) To unburden (oneself) of sins to God or a priest, in order to receive absolution.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Addison

     Our beautiful votary took an opportunity of confessing herself to this celebrated father.

5. (religion) To hear or receive such a confession of sins from.
   • 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.

7. To disclose or reveal.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Alexander Pope

     Tall thriving trees confessed the fruitful mould.

Derived terms

• fess, fess up

Related terms

• confession
• confessional
• confessor

Translations

to admit to the truth

• Arabic: اِعْتَرَفَ‎‎ (iʿtarafa)
• Armenian: խոստովանել (hy) (xostovanel)
• Bulgarian: признавам (bg) (priznavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 承認 (zh), 承认 (zh) (chéngrèn), 懺悔 (zh), 忏悔 (zh) (chànhuǐ), 供認 (zh), 供认 (zh) (gòngrèn), 招認 (zh), 招认 (zh) (zhāorèn), 坦白 (zh) (tǎnbái), 招供 (zh) (zhāogòng)

• Danish: bekende, tilstå
• Dutch: bekennen (nl)
• Esperanto: allasi, konsenti (eo)
• Finnish: tunnustaa (fi)
• French: avouer (fr), confesser (fr)
• Georgian: გამოტყდომა (gamoṭq̇doma)
• German: gestehen (de), beichten (de), bekennen (de), verraten (de)
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (andhaitan)
• Greek: εξομολογώ (el) (exomologó), ομολογώ (el) (omologó)

  Ancient: ὁμολογέω (homologéō)

• Hebrew: התוודה‎‎ (hitvadá)
• Hiligaynon: tuad
• Hungarian: bevall (hu)
• Irish: admhaigh

• Italian: confessare (it)
• Japanese: 認める (ja) (みとめる, mitomeru), 自白する (ja) (jihaku suru), 告白する (ja) (kokuhaku suru), 告解する (ja) (kokkai suru)
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: fateor
• Maori: whāki
• Mongolian: улайх (mn) (ulajh), үнэнээ хэлэх (ünenee heleh)
• Norwegian: tilstå (no)
• Polish: przyznawać się (pl) impf, przyznać się (pl) pf
• Portuguese: confessar (pt)
• Romanian: mărturisi (ro), spovedi (ro)
• Russian: созна́ться (ru) (soznátʹsja), призна́ться (ru) (priznátʹsja), пока́яться (ru) (pokájatʹsja), призна́ть (ru) (priznátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: aidich
• Spanish: confesar (es)
• Swedish: erkänna (sv)
• Tagalog: amin (tl) (aminin), kumpisal (tl) (magkumpisal) (to a Catholic priest), mangumpisal
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: itiraf etmek (tr)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

to acknowledge faith in

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: tunnustaa (fi)
• French: confesser (fr)

• Greek: ομολογώ (el) (omologó)

  Ancient: ὁμολογέω (homologéō)

• Irish: admhaigh
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

to disclose or reveal

• Bulgarian: признавам (bg) (priznavam), изповядвам (izpovjadvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Danish: indrømme, tilstå
• Finnish: tunnustaa (fi), ilmiantaa (fi)
• Greek: ομολογώ (el) (omologó), παραδέχομαι (el) (paradéchomai)
• Hiligaynon: tuad
• Irish: admhaigh

• Japanese: 告白する (ja) (kokuhaku suru)
• Maori: whāki
• Portuguese: confessar (pt)
• Russian: созна́ться (ru) (soznátʹsja), призна́ться (ru) (priznátʹsja)
• Scottish Gaelic: aidich
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Tagalog: amin (tl) (aminin)

See also

• own up
• come clean