con ‧ fes ‧ sion /kənˈfeʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
1 . [countable] a statement that you have done something wrong, illegal, or embarrassing, especially a formal statement:
Sanchez’s confession was read out to the court.
confession of
a confession of adultery
At 3 a.m. Higgins broke down and made a full confession.
I have a confession – I like Britney Spears’ music.
2 . [uncountable and countable] when you tell a priest or God about the bad things that you have done:
You must go to confession.
a priest who hears confession
3 . [countable] formal a statement of what your religious beliefs are
confession of
a confession of faith
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ make a confession
The police interviewed him for five hours before he finally made a confession.
▪ get/obtain a confession
Threats must not be used in order to obtain confessions.
▪ extract a confession (=get one with difficulty, or by using violence)
Torture was sometimes used to extract confessions.
▪ sign a confession
He had signed a confession in front of witnesses.
▪ retract a confession (=say that a confession you made was not true)
Though he had confessed to the police, Gerrards later retracted his confession.
■ adjectives
▪ a full confession (=in which you admit everything)
The killer had made a full confession to the authorities.
▪ a written confession
A police interview may lead to a written confession.
▪ a false confession (=one that is not true)
The officers were accused of extracting false confessions from some of the prisoners.
■ phrases
▪ have a confession (to make) (=used humorously when you want to admit to doing something)
I have a confession to make – I’ve eaten all the chocolates.