English Explanatory Dictionary

confessor

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. One who confesses faith in Christianity in the face of persecution, but who is not martyred.
  2. One who confesses to having done something wrong.
  3. A priest who hears confession and then gives absolution.
  4. Someone who acts as listener and helper.

Pronunciation

/kənˈfɛsə/ /ˈkɒnfɛsə/ /ˈkɒnfɛsɔː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-confessor.wav /kənˈfɛsɚ/

Word forms

confessor confessors confessour

Etymology

From Middle English confessor, confessour, from Anglo-Norman confessour, and its source, Latin cōnfessor, from cōnfiteor (“confess, admit, acknowledge”). By surface analysis, confess + -or.

Synonyms

confessant father confessor

Derived words

confessorial confessorship father confessor

Translations

Chinese Mandarin: 自白者 Chinese Mandarin: 懺悔者 /忏悔者 Greek: ομολογητής Irish: admhálaí Japanese: 告白者 Japanese: 自白する人 Old English: andetta Persian: خستو Russian: испове́дник Swedish: bekännare
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