Confession

Definition of Confession

Con`fes´sion

n.

1.

Acknowledgment; avowal, especially in a matter pertaining to one's self; the admission of a debt, obligation, or crime.

With a crafty madness keeps aloof,
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.

- Shak.

2.

Acknowledgment of belief; profession of one's faith.

With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

- Rom. x. 10.

3.

(Eccl.) The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest in order to obtain sacramental absolution.

Auricular confession . . . or the private and special confession of sins to a priest for the purpose of obtaining his absolution.

- Hallam.

4.

A formulary in which the articles of faith are comprised; a creed to be assented to or signed, as a preliminary to admission to membership of a church; a confession of faith.

5.

(Law) An admission by a party to whom an act is imputed, in relation to such act. A judicial confession settles the issue to which it applies; an extrajudical confession may be explained or rebutted.

Confession and avoidance
(Law) a mode of pleading in which the party confesses the facts as stated by his adversary, but alleges some new matter by way of avoiding the legal effect claimed for them. - Mozley & W.

Confession of faith
a formulary containing the articles of faith; a creed.

General confession
the confession of sins made by a number of persons in common, as in public prayer.

Westminster Confession
See Westminster Assembly, under Assembly.

Related Words

abject apology, acceptance, acknowledgment, adherents, admission, agape, allowance, apology, appreciation, asperges, aspersion, auricular confession, avowal, bar mitzvah, bas mitzvah, breast-beating, by-line, celebration, church, circumcision, citation, class, communion, concession, confession of faith, confirmation, contrition, credit line, declaration, declaration of faith, denomination, disciples, faith, followers, high celebration, incense, invocation, invocation of saints, ism, kiss of peace, lesser litany, litany, love feast, lustration, mea culpa, order, owning, owning up, pax, penitence, persuasion, processional, profession, reciting the rosary, recognition, reference, regrets, rite of confession, school, sect, shrift, signature, telling of beads, the confessional, the confessionary, trademark, tribute, unbosoming

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