confession
gb/kənfˈɛʃən/ us/kənfˈɛʃən/
B1
English
~ 3800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
action
1
admitting to a fault or crime
When someone says they did something wrong or bad.
Usage pattern:
make [a] confession
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'confession' with 'profession'; 'profession' is about one's job, not admitting something.
Synonyms
admission (Neutral term for accepting responsibility or revealing a fact, not always about wrongdoing.)
Antonyms
denial (Refusal to admit wrongdoing or truth.)
Collocations
make a confession
|false confession
|written confession
|public confession
Themes
law
|emotions
|relationships
|communication
Examples
- The suspect gave a full confession to the police.
- Her tearful confession shocked her friends.
- He made a public confession about his role in the scandal.
- The letter contained a written confession of the crime.
Learner examples
- He made a confession to the police.
- She gave a confession to her friend.
- The man signed a confession.
Noun
B2
action
2
sharing private feelings openly
When you tell someone your secret feelings or thoughts.
Usage pattern:
make [a] confession to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'confession' only refers to crimes; it can also mean admitting personal feelings.
Synonyms
disclosure (A more formal term for revealing information, not always emotional.)
Antonyms
concealment (The act of hiding feelings or information.)
Collocations
love confession
|private confession
|emotional confession
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|communication
Examples
- His love confession took her by surprise.
- She made a quiet confession of her fears.
- The letter read like a heartfelt confession.
Learner examples
- He made a love confession to her.
- She told him a confession about her life.
- I have a confession: I am afraid of the dark.
Noun
B1
action
3
telling sins to a priest
When a person tells a priest about their sins so they can be forgiven.
Usage pattern:
go to confession
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'confession' with 'sermon'; a sermon is a speech given by a priest, not admitting sins.
Synonyms
penance (A related religious act involving repentance, but not exactly the same as the spoken admission.)
Collocations
go to confession
|hear confession
|sacrament of confession
Themes
religion
|communication
Examples
- Catholics are encouraged to go to confession regularly.
- The priest heard her confession and offered guidance.
- Confession is an important sacrament in the Catholic Church.
Learner examples
- I went to confession yesterday.
- He gave his sins in confession.
- She goes to confession every month.
Grammar
Dictionary form
confession
IPA
GB/kənfˈɛʃən/
US/kənfˈɛʃən/
Syllables & stress
con - fes - sion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fes)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: confession
- Plural: confession, confessions
Word family
Forms
confessions
noun
Core family
confess
verb B1
Related words
confessional
adjective
confessor
noun
Expressions
go to confession
1/ɡˈoʊ tə kənfˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
to tell sins to a priest in church
To visit a priest and say your sins so you can be forgiven in church.
Examples
- She goes to confession every Sunday morning.
- After months of guilt, he finally went to confession.
have a confession to make
1/hˈæv ə kənfˈɛʃən tə mˈeɪk/
fixed phrase
to say you want to admit something
To tell someone you have something secret or wrong to say.
Examples
- I have a confession to make: I ate the last piece of cake.
- He began by saying he had a confession to make.
make a confession
1/mˈeɪk ə kənfˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
to admit something openly
To say that you did something wrong or tell the truth about something secret.
Examples
- The suspect decided to make a confession after hours of questioning.
- She made a confession about taking the money.