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Confession vs Forgiveness - What's the difference?

confession | forgiveness |

As nouns the difference between confession and forgiveness

is that confession is the open admittance of having done something (especially of something bad) while forgiveness is the action of forgiving.

confession

English

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.

    • Derived terms

    * confessional * nonconfession

    Related terms

    * confess

    forgiveness

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • The action of forgiving.
    • The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. -
  • Readiness to forgive.

    • Synonyms

    * (action of forgiving) remission * (readiness to forgive) mercy

    References

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