confess
/kənˈfɛs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.82 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.
Intransitive verb; Transitive verb
verb
To unburden (oneself) of sins to God or a priest, in order to receive absolution.
Example Sentences
- "I confess to spray-painting all over that mural!"
- "I confess that I am a sinner."
- "I never gave it him. Send for him hither, / And let him confess a truth."
- "And there confess / Humbly our faults, and pardon beg."
- "I must confess I was most pleased with a beautiful prospect that none of them have mentioned."
- "Sandusky needs to confess his guilt, said an attorney for the person identified in court as Victim No. 4."
Etymology
From Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“to confess, admit”) from con- + fateor (“to admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten (“to confess, admit”) (from Old English andettan). Doublet of confiteor. Sense 6 is a semantic loan from Japanese 告(こく)白(はく) (kokuhaku).