confess

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: con=fess
• COUNT in NET: 23 in 21 verses (in OT : 12 in 10 verses) (in NT : 11 in 11 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

confess, v. t. [F. confesser, fr. L. confessus, p. p. of confiteri to confess; con- + fateri to confess; akin to fari to speak. See 2d Ban, Fame.].

•  To make acknowledgment or avowal in a matter pertaining to one's self; to acknowledge, own, or admit, as a crime, a fault, a debt.  [1913 Webster]

  "And there confess
  Humbly our faults, and pardon beg."  [1913 Webster]

  "I must confess I was most pleased with a beautiful prospect that none of them have mentioned."  [1913 Webster]
•  To acknowledge faith in; to profess belief in.  [1913 Webster]

  "Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess, also, before my Father which is in heaven."  [1913 Webster]

  "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both."  [1913 Webster]
•  To admit as true; to assent to; to acknowledge, as after a previous doubt, denial, or concealment.  [1913 Webster]

  "I never gave it him. Send for him hither,
  And let him confess a truth."  [1913 Webster]

  "As I confess it needs must be."  [1913 Webster]

  "As an actor confessed without rival to shine."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make known or acknowledge, as one's sins to a priest, in order to receive absolution; -- sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun.  [1913 Webster]

  "Our beautiful votary took an opportunity of confessing herself to this celebrated father."

  "He . . . heard mass, and the prince, his son, with him, and the most part of his company were confessed."  [1913 Webster]
•  To disclose or reveal, as an effect discloses its cause; to prove; to attest.  [1913 Webster]

  "Tall thriving trees confessed the fruitful mold."

Syn. -- Admit; grant; concede; avow; own; assent; recognize; prove; exhibit; attest.

confess, v. i. 

•  To make confession; to disclose sins or faults, or the state of the conscience.  [1913 Webster]

  "Every tongue shall confess to God."  [1913 Webster]
•  To acknowledge; to admit; to concede.  [1913 Webster]

  "But since
  (And I confess with right) you think me bound."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

confess, v.
1 a tr. (also absol.) acknowledge or admit (a fault, wrongdoing, etc.). b intr. (foll. by to) admit to (confessed to having lied).
2 tr. admit reluctantly (confessed it would be difficult).
3 a tr. (also absol.) declare (one's sins) to a priest. b tr. (of a priest) hear the confession of. c refl. declare one's sins to a priest.

Etymology

ME f. OF confesser f. Rmc f. L confessus past part. of confiteri (as com-, fateri declare, avow)

THESAURUS

confess

absolve, accept, account for, accredit with, accrete to, acknowledge, administer absolution, administer extreme unction, admit, admit everything, affirm, agree provisionally, allow, apply to, ascribe to, assent grudgingly, assert, asseverate, assign to, attach to, attribute to, aver, avouch, avow, blame, blame for, blame on, bring home to, charge on, charge to, come clean, concede, confirm, connect with, cop a plea, credit with, declare, disclose, divulge, express general agreement, express the belief, fasten upon, father upon, fix on, fix upon, go along with, grant, hang on, hear confession, impute to, lay to, let on, make confession, not oppose, open up, out with it, own, own up, pin on, pinpoint, place upon, plead guilty, point to, profess, receive absolution, recognize, refer to, reveal, saddle on, saddle with, set down to, settle upon, shrive, spill, spill it, spit it out, state, swear, tell all, tell the truth, testify, vow, warrant, yield

ROGET THESAURUS

confess

Rite

VB perform service, do duty, minister, officiate, baptize, dip, sprinkle, anoint, confirm, lay hands on, give the sacrament, administer the sacrament, administer extreme unction, hear confession, administer holy penance, shrive, excommunicate, ban with bell book and candle, attend services, attend mass, go to mass, hear mass, take the sacrament, receive the sacrament, receive communion, attend the sacrament, partake of the sacrament, partake of communion, communicate, receive extreme unction, confess, go to confession, receive penance, anele, preach, sermonize, predicate, lecture.

Penitence

VB repent, be sorry for, be penitent, rue, regret, think better of, recant, knock under, plead guilty, sing miserere, sing de profundis, cry peccavi, own oneself in the wrong, acknowledge, confess, (disclose), humble oneself, beg pardon, turn over a new leaf, put on the new man, turn from sin, reclaim, repent in sackcloth and ashes, (do penance), learn by experience.

Assent

VB assent, give assent, yield assent, nod assent, acquiesce, agree, receive, accept, accede, accord, concur, lend oneself to, consent, coincide, reciprocate, go with, be at one with, go along with, chime in with, strike in with, close in with, echo, enter into one's views, agree in opinion, vote, give one's voice for, recognize, subscribe to, conform to, defer to, say yes to, say ditto, amen to, say aye to, acknowledge, own, admit, allow, avow, confess, concede, come round to, abide by, permit, arrive at an understanding, come to an understanding, come to terms, come to an agreement, confirm, affirm, ratify, appprove, indorse, countersign, corroborate, go with the stream, swim with the stream, go with the flow, blow with the wind, be in fashion, join in the chorus, join the crowd, be one of the guys, be part of the group, go with the crowd, don't make waves, be in every mouth.

Disclosure

VB disclose, discover, dismask, draw the veil, draw aside the veil, lift the veil, raise the veil, lift up the veil, remove the veil, tear aside the veil, tear the curtain, unmask, unveil, unfold, uncover, unseal, unkennel, take off the seal, break the seal, lay open, lay bare, expose, open, open up, bare, bring to light, divulge, reveal, break, squeal, tattle, sing, rat, snitch, let into the secret, reveal the secrets of the prison house, tell, breathe, utter, blab, peach, let out, let fall, let drop, let slip, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, betray, tell tales, come out of school, come out with, give vent, give utterance to, open the lips, blurt out, vent, whisper about, speak out, make public, unriddle, split, acknowledge, allow, concede, grant, admit, own, own up to, confess, avow, throw off all disguise, turn inside out, make a clean breast, show one's hand, show one's cards, unburden one's mind, disburden one's mind, disburden one's conscience, disburden one's heart, open one's mind, lay bare one's mind, tell a piece of one's mind, unbosom oneself, own to the soft impeachment, say the truth, speak the truth, turn King's evidence, Queen's evidence, acknowledge the corn, raise the mask, drop the mask, lift the mask, remove the mask, throw off the mask, expose, lay open, undeceive, unbeguile, disabuse, set right, correct, open the eyes of, d_esillusionner, be disclosed, transpire, come to light, come in sight, become known, escape the lips, come out, ooze out, creep out, leak out, peep out, crop-out, show its face, show its colors, discover itself, break through the clouds, flash on the mind.