Noun

(wikipedia confession) (en noun)

The open admittance of having done something (especially of something bad).

Without the real murderer's confession , an innocent person will go to jail.

* Shakespeare

With a crafty madness keeps aloof, / When we would bring him on to some confession / Of his true state.

A formal document providing such an admission.

He forced me to sign a confession !

(Roman Catholicism) the disclosure of one's sins to a priest for absolution. Now termed the sacrament of reconciliation.

I went to confession and now I feel much better about what I had done.

* (First Folio ed.)

Hauing di?plea?'d my Father, to Lawrence Cell, / To make confe??ion , and to be ab?olu'd.

Acknowledgment of belief; profession of one's faith.

* Bible, Rom. x. 10

With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

A formula 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.

Noun

(en noun)

(countable) A firmly held belief.

(countable) A judgement of guilt in a court of law.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=December 14 , author=Steven Morris , title=Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions . Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer.}}

(uncountable) The state of being found or proved guilty.

(uncountable) The state of being convinced.

* 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Rickie Lambert's debut goal gives England victory over Scotland'' (in ''The Guardian , 14 August 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/14/england-scotland-international-friendly]

The visitors were being pinned back by the end of the first half. Yet Gordon Strachan's side played with great conviction and always had a chance of springing a surprise when their opponents were so susceptible at the back.