Confession is a noun with several related meanings, but it most often means admittingsaying or acknowledging that a fact or mistake is true that you did something wrong. It can also refer to a statement of religious faith, a written admission of guilt, or the Catholic sacramenta sacred church rite seen as a means of divine grace of confessingtelling a priest about sins or wrongdoing in a formal way sins to a priest.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /kənˈfɛʃən/
Easy pronunciation: kun-FESH-ən (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress is on the second syllable: FESH.
Used here in the sense of an admission of misdeeds or faults.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Confession Meaning
an admission that you did something wrong
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an admission of misdeeds or faults
Example: She made a confession about breaking the vase.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- admission — The closest everyday synonym for acknowledging a mistake or wrongdoing.
- acknowledgment — Works when the confession is a formal recognition of fault, though it is less direct than admission.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Confession
Meaning 2
a public statement of religious belief
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a public declaration of your faith
Example: The service ended with a confession of faith.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- profession — A strong substitute in religious contexts, especially for publicly stating belief.
Meaning 3
a signed written statement admitting guilt
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a written document acknowledging an offense and signed by the guilty party
Example: Police found a signed confession in the drawer.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- admission — Can fit, but the written-document sense is more specific than the usual word admission.
- statement — Possible in legal contexts, but less precise than confession.
Meaning 4
the Catholic sacrament of telling sins to a priest
Part of speech: noun
Definition: (Roman Catholic Church) the act of a penitent disclosing his sinfulness before a priest in the sacrament of penance in the hope of absolution
Example: He went to confession before Easter.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- penance — Related to the sacrament, but not a true substitute for the act of confessing sins.
Meaning 5
a document explaining a church’s beliefs
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the document that spells out the belief system of a given church (especially the Reformation churches of the 16th century)
Example: The church adopted a new confession of faith.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- creed — A close synonym for a formal statement of belief.
- profession — Can overlap in religious writing, but creed is usually the better match.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Confession Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- admission
- acknowledgment
a public declaration of religious belief
- profession
a signed written statement admitting guilt
- admission
- statement
the Catholic sacrament of confessing sins to a priest
- penance
a document explaining a church’s beliefs
- creed
- profession
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using confession to mean any statement of belief; the religious sense is more specific.
- Mixing up the sacrament of confession with a written confession or with a general admission of guilt.
- Treating a church confession as the same thing as a personal admission of wrongdoing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does confession mean in simple English?
Confession usually means admitting that you did something wrong. It can also mean a statement of religious belief or, in Catholic practice, telling sins to a priest.
What is the closest synonym for confession?
For the main everyday meaning, the closest synonym is admission.
Is confession always about guilt?
No. It can also refer to a public statement of faith, a Catholic sacrament, or a church document about beliefs.
What is the difference between confession and admission?
Admission is the broader everyday word for acknowledging something, while confession usually suggests a more personal or serious admission, especially of wrongdoing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
