Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "confess" []

  • To disclose (something damaging or inconvenient to oneself); admit. See Synonyms at acknowledge. (verb-transitive)
  • To acknowledge belief or faith in; profess. (verb-transitive)
  • To make known (one's sins) to God or to a priest. (verb-transitive)
  • To hear the confession of (a penitent). (verb-transitive)
  • To admit or acknowledge something damaging or inconvenient to oneself: The suspect confessed to the crime. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "confess" in a sentence
  • "One of my character traits, I must confess, is believing in extraordinary expectations ...."
  • "God also forgives those who earnestly seek him and truly confess from the heart concerning their sin."
  • "Aside from my weak lapse into theistic belief (which I confess is irrational and illogical), what have I written so far that would you disagree with, and why?"