confess
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con·fess
(kən-fĕs′)v. con·fessed, con·fess·ing, con·fess·es
v.tr.
1. To disclose (something damaging or inconvenient to oneself); admit. See Synonyms at acknowledge.
2. To acknowledge belief or faith in; profess: confess one's religion.
3.
a. To make known (one's sins) to God or to a priest.
b. To hear the confession of (a penitent).
v.intr.
1. To admit or acknowledge something damaging or inconvenient to oneself: The suspect confessed to the crime.
2. To disclose one's sins to a priest.
[Middle English confessen, from Old French confesser, from Vulgar Latin *cōnfessāre, from Latin cōnfitērī, cōnfess- : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + fatērī, to admit; see bhā- in Indo-European roots.]
con·fess′a·ble adj.
con·fess′ed·ly (-ĭd-lē) adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
confess
(kənˈfɛs)vb (when tr, may take a clause as object)
1. (when: intr, often foll by to) to make an acknowledgment or admission (of faults, misdeeds, crimes, etc)
2. (tr) to admit or grant to be true; concede
3. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity chiefly RC Church to declare (one's sins) to God or to a priest as his representative, so as to obtain pardon and absolution
[C14: from Old French confesser, from Late Latin confessāre, from Latin confessus confessed, from confitērī to admit, from fatērī to acknowledge; related to Latin fārī to speak]
conˈfessable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
con•fess
(kənˈfɛs)v.i.
1. to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, or weakness) by way of revelation.
2. to own or admit as true; concede: I must confess that I haven't read it.
3. to declare or acknowledge (one's sins), esp. to God or a priest.
4. (of a priest) to hear the confession of (a person).
5. to acknowledge one's belief or faith in; declare adherence to.
6. to reveal by circumstances.
v.i. 7. to make confession; plead guilty; own: to confess to a crime.
8. to make confession of sins, esp. to a priest.
9. (of a priest) to hear confession.
[1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French confesser < Medieval Latin confessāre, v. derivative of Latin confessus, past participle of confitērī to admit, confess]
con•fess′a•ble, adj.
syn: See acknowledge.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
confess
Past participle: confessed
Gerund: confessing
Imperative |
---|
confess |
confess |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb | 1. | confess - confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure acknowledge, admit - declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of; "He admitted his errors"; "She acknowledged that she might have forgotten" |
2. | confess - admit (to a wrongdoing); "She confessed that she had taken the money" acknowledge, admit - declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of; "He admitted his errors"; "She acknowledged that she might have forgotten" fess up, make a clean breast of, own up - admit or acknowledge a wrongdoing or error; "the writer of the anonymous letter owned up after they identified his handwriting" | |
3. | confess - confess to God in the presence of a priest, as in the Catholic faith acknowledge, admit - declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of; "He admitted his errors"; "She acknowledged that she might have forgotten" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
confess
verb
1. admit, acknowledge, disclose, confide, own up, come clean (informal), divulge, blurt out, come out of the closet, make a clean breast of, get (something) off your chest (informal), spill your guts (slang), 'fess up (U.S.), sing (slang, chiefly U.S.), cough (slang) He has confessed to seventeen murders. She confesses that she only wrote those books for the money.
admit cover up, deny, hide, conceal, suppress, withhold, keep secret, repudiate, hush up, keep mum, keep under wraps, button your lips
admit cover up, deny, hide, conceal, suppress, withhold, keep secret, repudiate, hush up, keep mum, keep under wraps, button your lips
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
confess
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
اعترفيَعْتَرِفيَعْتَرِفُ
přiznatuznat
tilståindrømme
tunnustaa
להתוודות
priznati
játa, viîurkenna
自白する認める告白する告解する
고백하다
išpažintisklausyklanuodėmklausys
atzītiesizsūdzēt grēkus
mărturisispovedi
priznati
erkänna
สารภาพ
thú nhận
confess
[kənˈfes]A. VT
1. [+ crime, sin] → confesar; [+ guilt, error] → confesar, reconocer
to confess that → confesar que ...
to confess one's guilt → confesar or reconocer ser culpable
to confess o.s. guilty of [+ sin, crime] → confesarse culpable de
I confess myself totally ignorant → me confieso totalmente ignorante en eso
to confess that → confesar que ...
to confess one's guilt → confesar or reconocer ser culpable
to confess o.s. guilty of [+ sin, crime] → confesarse culpable de
I confess myself totally ignorant → me confieso totalmente ignorante en eso
2. (Rel) to confess sb → confesar a algn
B. VI
1. (= admit) → confesar
he confessed to the murder → se confesó culpable del asesinato, confesó haber cometido el asesinato
to confess to doing sth → confesarse culpable de haber hecho algo
I must confess, I like your car → debo reconocer que me gusta tu coche
to confess to a liking for sth → reconocerse aficionado a algo
he confessed to the murder → se confesó culpable del asesinato, confesó haber cometido el asesinato
to confess to doing sth → confesarse culpable de haber hecho algo
I must confess, I like your car → debo reconocer que me gusta tu coche
to confess to a liking for sth → reconocerse aficionado a algo
2. (Rel) → confesarse
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
confess
[kənˈfɛs]Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
confess
vt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
confess
[kənˈfɛs]1. vt → confessare, ammettere
to confess o.s. guilty of (sin, crime) → confessare di essere colpevole di, dichiararsi colpevole di
to confess o.s. guilty of (sin, crime) → confessare di essere colpevole di, dichiararsi colpevole di
2. vi (make one's confession) → confessarsi; (admit) to confess (to sth/to doing sth) → confessare (qc/di aver fatto qc)
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
confess
(kənˈfes) verb to make known that one is guilty, wrong etc; to admit. He confessed (to the crime); He confessed that he had broken the vase; It was stupid of me, I confess.
conˈfession (-ʃən) noun1. acknowledgment of a crime or fault. The youth made a confession to the police officer.
2. (an) act of confessing one's sins to a priest. She went to confession every Friday.
conˈfessional (-ʃə-) noun the seat etc where a priest sits when hearing confessions.
conˈfessor noun a priest who hears confessions.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
confess
→ يَعْتَرِفُ přiznat (se) tilstå gestehen ομολογώ confesar tunnustaa confesser priznati confessare 自白する 고백하다 bekennen tilstå przyznawać się confessar признавать erkänna สารภาพ itiraf etmek thú nhận 坦白Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
confess
vt. admitir, reconocer; confesar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012