con·fess / kənˈfes/ • v. [tr.] admit or state that one has committed a crime or is at fault in some way: he confessed that he had attacked the old man [intr.] he wants to confess to Caroline's murder. ∎  admit or acknowledge something reluctantly, typically because one feels slightly ashamed or embarrassed: I must confess that I was slightly surprised [intr.] he confessed to a lifelong passion for food. ∎  declare (one's religious faith): 150 people confessed faith in Christ. ∎  declare one's sins formally to a priest: I could not confess all my sins | [intr.] he gave himself up after confessing to a priest. ∎  (of a priest) hear the confession of (someone) in such a way: St. Ambrose would weep bitter tears when confessing a sinner.

confess own to, acknowledge, esp. guiltily; hear the confession of, shrive. XIV. —(O)F. confesser :- Rom. *confessāre, f. L. confessus, pp. of confitērī acknowledge, f. CON- +fatērī declare, avow, rel. to fārī speak, fābula FABLE.
So confession acknowledgement (of guilt) XIV; matter confessed XV; formulary of belief XVI. confessional place for hearing confessions. XVIII. — F. confessional- It. confessionale — medL., sb. use of n. sg. of adj. confessor (eccl.) one who avows his religion in the face of danger but does not suffer martyrdom XII; (gen.) one who makes confession (of belief, guilt, etc.) XIII; (eccl.) one who hears confessions XIV. — AN. confessur, OF. confessour (mod. -eur) — ecclL. confessor; see -OR 1.

confess •acquiesce, address, assess, Bess, bless, bouillabaisse, caress, cess, chess, coalesce, compress, confess, convalesce, cress, deliquesce, digress, dress, duchesse, duress, effervesce, effloresce, evanesce, excess, express, fess, finesse, fluoresce, guess, Hesse, impress, incandesce, intumesce, jess, largesse, less, manageress, mess, ness, noblesse, obsess, oppress, outguess, phosphoresce, politesse, possess, press, priestess, princess, process, profess, progress, prophetess, regress, retrogress, stress, success, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, tress, tristesse, underdress, vicomtesse, yes •Jewess • shepherdess • Borges •battledress • Mudéjares • headdress •protectress • egress • ingress •minidress • nightdress • congress •sundress • procuress • murderess •letterpress • watercress • shirtdress •access