Synonyms for confession
Most common
apology acknowledgement UK confessional avowal admission declaration
All synonyms
Noun
Definitions
- n. 1
The open admittance of having done something (especially something bad).
Without the real murderer's confession, an innocent person could be jailed.
Related words
- Word family
- confessional confess
- Phrases
- confession booth
Forms
- Plural
- confessions → confessionals, avowals, acknowledgements, apologies…
Choose the right word
Apology has undergone a remarkable change from its old sense of a valiant defense--as in Justin Martyr's Apologies for the Christian faith--to its present meaning of humble confession and concession.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- apology Yanni's apology devolved into a physical argument.
- acknowledgement This is a small acknowledgement of your kindness.
- confessional The confessional allows to negotiate on errors.
- avowal No avowal of guilt left his lips that night.
- admission There is no admission fee for children under five.
- declaration That sounded like some sort of declaration of love.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| confession | steady | |
| apology | rising | |
| acknowledgement | rising | |
| confessional | rising | |
| avowal | steady | |
| admission | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- shrift1, avowal
- 7 letters
- apology4
- 9 letters
- admission3
- 10 letters
- profession3
- 11 letters
- recognition4, declaration4
- 12 letters
- confessional4
- 14 letters
- acknowledgment4
- 15 letters
- acknowledgement4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (apology4 = 4 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- confession