confession

/kən'feʃn/

Thân thiện

A priest listens to a confession in a quiet church.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A formal statement admitting that one is guilty of a crime or has done something wrong: An acknowledgment of fault, error, or misdeed.
   • (In religion) The act of telling a priest or God about the sins one has committed: The sacramental disclosure of sins in Christianity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church, to receive forgiveness.
   • A formal declaration of one's religious beliefs or principles: A public statement of faith, such as a creed or doctrinal statement of a church.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • After hours of questioning, the suspect made a full confession to the police.
  • She goes to confession every Saturday to seek spiritual guidance.
  • The Augsburg Confession is a key document of the Lutheran faith.

Advanced Usage

• "To make a confession": To formally admit to doing something wrong.
  • He decided to make a confession to clear his conscience.
• "Confession of faith": A public statement declaring one's religious beliefs.
  • The new members recited a confession of faith during the ceremony.

Variants and Related Words

• Confess (verb): To admit or acknowledge something, typically a fault or crime.
  • He finally confessed to taking the money.
• Confessional (noun/adjective):
  • (Noun) A small booth in a church where a priest hears confessions.
  • (Adjective) Relating to confession or characterized by personal admissions.

    • Her writing style is very confessional.

Synonyms

• Admission: A statement acknowledging the truth of something.
• Acknowledgment: Acceptance or admission of the truth or existence of something.
• Declaration: A formal or explicit statement or announcement.

Related Phrases

• Confession is good for the soul: (Idiom) Suggesting that admitting your faults makes you feel better.
  • I know it's hard to admit you were wrong, but remember, confession is good for the soul.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the document that spells out the belief system of a given church (especially the Reformation churches of the 16th century)
2. a public declaration of your faith
3. (Roman Catholic Church) the act of a penitent disclosing his sinfulness before a priest in the sacrament of penance in the hope of absolution
4. a written document acknowledging an offense and signed by the guilty party
5. an admission of misdeeds or faults