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 by William Shakespeare and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

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

   • (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

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

   • (Can we date this quote by Addison and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

     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 by Addison and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

     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 by Alexander Pope and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

     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 (ar) (iʿtarafa)

  Egyptian Arabic: قر‎ (ʾarr)

• Armenian: խոստովանել (hy) (xostovanel)
• Bulgarian: признавам (bg) (priznavam)
• Catalan: confessar (ca)
• 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), 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)
• Old English: andettan
• 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), tillstå (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 disclose everything to a Catholic priest

• Bulgarian: изповядвам се (izpovjadvam se)
• Czech: zpovídat se
• Danish: skrifte
• Dutch: biechten (nl)
• German: beichten (de)
• Hungarian: gyón

• Icelandic: skrifta
• Norwegian: skrifte
• Polish: spowiadać się
• Swedish: bikta (sv)

to acknowledge faith in

• Bulgarian: изповядвам (izpovjadvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: belijden (nl)
• 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