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confesses

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con⋅fess

  [kuhn-fes]
Use confesses in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to acknowledge or avow (a fault, crime, misdeed, weakness, etc.) by way of revelation.
2. to own or admit as true: I must confess that I haven't read the book.
3. to declare or acknowledge (one's sins), esp. to God or a priest in order to obtain absolution.
4. (of a priest) to hear the confession of (a person).
5. to acknowledge one's belief or faith in; declare adherence to.
6. to reveal by circumstances.
–verb (used without object)
7. to make confession; plead guilty; own: to confess to a crime.
8. to make confession of sins, esp. to a priest.
9. (of a priest) to hear confession.
Origin:
1300–50; ME confessen < AF, OF confesser < ML confessāre, v. deriv. of L confessus, ptp. of confitērī to admit, confess, equiv. to con- con- + -fitērī, comb. form of fatērī to admit

Related forms:
con⋅fess⋅a⋅ble, adjective
con⋅fess⋅ingly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. See acknowledge. 2. grant, concede.

Antonyms:
1. conceal. 2. deny.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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con·fess   (kən-fěs')   
v.   con·fessed, con·fess·ing, con·fess·es

v.   tr.

  1. To disclose (something damaging or inconvenient to oneself); admit. See Synonyms at acknowledge.

  2. To acknowledge belief or faith in; profess.

    1. To make known (one's sins) to God or to a priest.

    2. To hear the confession of (a penitent).

v.   intr.

  1. To admit or acknowledge something damaging or inconvenient to oneself: The suspect confessed to the crime.

    1. To disclose one's sins to a priest.

    2. To listen to a confession.


[Middle English confessen, from Old French confesser, from Vulgar Latin *cōnfessāre, from Latin cōnfitērī, cōnfess- : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + fatērī, to admit; see bhā-2 in Indo-European roots.]
con·fess'a·ble adj., con·fess'ed·ly (-ĭd-lē) adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

confess 
c.1378, from O.Fr. confesser, from L. confessus, pp. of confiteri "to acknowledge," from com- "together" + fatus, pp. of fateri "to admit," akin to fari "speak" (see fame). Its original religious sense was of one who avows his religion in spite of persecution but does not suffer martyrdom (cf. Edward the Confessor, canonized 1161).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: con·fess
Pronunciation: k&n-'fes
Function: transitive verb
: to admit (as a charge or allegation) as true, proven, or valid confessed> intransitive verb : to make a confession —con·fes·sor /k&n-'fe-s&r/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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