confessional

1 of 2

noun

con·​fes·​sion·​al kən-ˈfesh-nəl How to pronounce confessional (audio)
-ˈfe-shə-nᵊl
1
: a place where a priest hears confessions
2
: the practice of confessing to a priest

confessional

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or being a confession especially of faith
2
a
: intimately autobiographical
confessional fiction
b
: characterized by unguarded openness or self-revelation
We live in a confessional culture, provoked by social media and the internet and the warmth of the human impulse to share and … commiserate.Megan Garber
confessionalism
kən-ˈfesh-nə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce confessional (audio)
-ˈfe-shə-nə-ˌli-
noun
confessionalist
kən-ˈfesh-nə-list How to pronounce confessional (audio)
-ˈfe-shə-nə-list
noun
confessionally
kən-ˈfesh-nə-lē How to pronounce confessional (audio)
-ˈfe-shə-nᵊl-
adverb

Examples of confessional in a Sentence

Adjective confessional interviews of famous actors
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
John, who so far has only appeared a handful of times in camera confessionals, has arrived in a black SUV. Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 1 Nov. 2024 Boone and Roan’s entries are also the sort of pop confessionals that voters prize here, and both have a bit of that retro sound that the Academy rewards. Justin Curto, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Created by France in the aftermath of World War I as a safe haven for Christians, Druze, and other religious minorities, Lebanon long relied on a careful confessional balance. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 The song feels like the confessional early raps of West, who’d deliver street parables on everything from love, shopping, and religion. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confessional 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably borrowed from French confessional (short for chaire confessionale, siège confessional, literally, "confessional seat"), noun derivative of confessional, adjective, "constituting or used for a confession," borrowed from Medieval Latin confessiōnālis, from Latin confessiōn-, confessiō confession + -ālis -al entry 1

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin confessiōnālis "constituting or used for a confession" — more at confessional entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confessional was in 1684

Dictionary Entries Near confessional

Cite this Entry

“Confessional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confessional. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

confessional

noun
con·​fes·​sion·​al
kən-ˈfesh-(ə-)nəl
1
: the enclosed place in which a priest sits and hears confessions
2
: the practice of confessing to a priest

More from Merriam-Webster on confessional

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