confessor

C1 Topic:Religion & Belief

US /kənˈfɛsɚ/ UK /kənˈfesə/ See IPA manual

Freq #18739

Meanings

1

noun
a priest who hears confessions and grants or pronounces absolution

She asked her confessor for spiritual guidance before making the decision.
2

noun
a person who admits to an act, belief, or fault

The anonymous confessor described how the records had been altered.
3

noun
in Christian history, a person who suffered persecution for the faith but was not martyred

The church calendar honors the imprisoned teacher as a confessor rather than a martyr.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a priest who hears... confession priestspiritual adviser

2 noun · a person who admits to an... confessantadmitter

3 noun · in christian history, a... confessor of the faith

Word family

Derived forms confessorialconfessorship

Related forms confess confession absolution penitent martyr

Etymology

From Middle English confessor or confessour, through Anglo-French from Latin confessor, 'one who acknowledges,' based on confiteri, 'confess, acknowledge.' Early Christianity used the title for someone who openly professed the faith under persecution; it later also named a priest who receives another person's confession.

Topics

Religion & Belief

External links

# confessor

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈfɛsɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈfesə/
**Frequency rank:** 18739

## Meanings
1. a priest who hears confessions and grants or pronounces absolution
2. a person who admits to an act, belief, or fault
3. in Christian history, a person who suffered persecution for the faith but was not martyred

## Examples
- She asked her confessor for spiritual guidance before making the decision.
- The anonymous confessor described how the records had been altered.
- The church calendar honors the imprisoned teacher as a confessor rather than a martyr.

## Synonyms
- confession priest
- spiritual adviser
- confessant
- admitter

## Derived Forms
- confessorial
- confessorship

## Related Forms
- confess
- confession
- absolution
- penitent
- martyr

## Etymology
From Middle English confessor or confessour, through Anglo-French from Latin confessor, 'one who acknowledges,' based on confiteri, 'confess, acknowledge.' Early Christianity used the title for someone who openly professed the faith under persecution; it later also named a priest who receives another person's confession.

## Topics
- Religion & Belief

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