confess
CONFESS, v.t.L., to own or acknowledge.
1. To own, acknowledge or avow, as a crime, a fault, a charge, a debt, or something that is against ones interest, or reputation.
Human faults with human grief confess.
I confess the argument against me is good and not easily refuted.
let us frankly confess our sins.
"Confess thee freely of thy sins," used by Shakespeare, is not legitimate, unless in the sense of Catholics.
2. In the Catholic Church, to acknowledge sins and faults to a priest; to disclose the state of the conscience to a priest, in private, with a view to absolution; sometimes with the reciprocal pronoun.
The beautiful votary confessed herself to this celebrated father.
3. To own, avow or acknowledge; publicly to declare a belief in and adherence to.
Whoever shall confess me before men. Matthew 10.
4. To own and acknowledge, as true disciples, friends or children.
Him will I confess before my father who is heaven.
5. To own; to acknowledge; to declare to be true, or to admit or assent to in words; opposed to deny.
Then will I confess to thee, that thine own right hand can save thee. Job 11.
These-- confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth. Hebrews 11.
6. To show by the effect; to prove; to attest.
Tall thriving trees confessed the fruitful mold.
7. To hear or receive the confession of another; as, the priest confessed the nuns.
CONFESS, v.i. To make confession; to disclose faults, or the state of the conscience; as, this man went to the priest to confess.
confessant
CONFESSANT, n. One who confesses to a priest.
confessed
CONFESSED, pp. Owned; acknowledged; declared to be true; admitted in words; avowed; admitted to disclose to a priest.
confessing
CONFESSING, ppr. Owning; avowing; declaring to be true or real; granting or admitting by assent; receiving disclosure of sins, or the state of the conscience of another.
confession
CONFESSION, n.
1. The acknowledgment of a crime, fault or something to ones disadvantage; open declaration of guilt, failure, debt, accusation, &c.
With the mouth confession is made to salvation. Romans 10.
2. Avowal; the act of acknowledging; profession.
Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. 1 Timothy 6.
3. The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest; the disburdening of the conscience privately to a confessor; sometimes called auricular confession.
4. A formulary in which the articles of faith are comprised; a creed to be assented to or signed, as a preliminary to admission into a church.
5. The acknowledgment of a debt by a debtor before a justice of the peace, &c., on which judgment is entered and execution issued.