confession : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: confession	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for confession
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
confession n an admission of misdeeds or faults a written document acknowledging an offense and signed by the guilty party (Roman Catholic Church) the act of a penitent disclosing his sinfulness before a priest in the sacrament of penance in the hope of absolution a public declaration of your faith the document that spells out the belief system of a given church (especially the Reformation churches of the 16th century)
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Confession \Confes"sion\, n. [F. confession, L. confessio.] 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. --Wharton. {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}.
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Confession (1) An open profession of faith (Luke 12:8). (2.) An acknowledment of sins to God (Lev. 16:21; Ezra 9:5-15; Dan. 9:3-12), and to a neighbour whom we have wronged (James 5:16; Matt. 18:15).