confession

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A statement admitting that you have done something wrong.

   Without the real killer's confession, an innocent person could go to jail.

2. 2
   noun

   A signed document in which someone admits to a crime.

   The police claimed he had signed a confession.

3. 3
   noun

   The act of telling your sins to a priest to be forgiven.

   After going to confession, she felt much calmer.

From Middle English confessioun, from Old French confession, from Latin cōnfessiō, cōnfessiōnem (“confession, acknowledgment, creed or avowal of one's faith”). Displaced native Old English andetnes. Doublet of confessio. Morphologically confess + -ion. Sense 6 is a calque of 告白 (kokuhaku).

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