Confessor Meaning
/kənˈfɛsə/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne who confesses faith in Christianity in the face of persecution, but who is not martyred.
nounOne who confesses to having done something wrong.
Sentence Examples
In medieval times, the laity often visited a confessor before major religious festivals.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The wise old priest served as a kind ____ to troubled souls.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
For years, the old priest acted as a trusted ____ for the troubled villagers.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English confessor, confessour, from Anglo-Norman confessour, and its source, Latin cōnfessor, from cōnfiteor (“confess, admit, acknowledge”). By surface analysis, confess + -or.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Confessors provided the troubled Church with an alternative sort of authority based on their sufferings, particularly when arguments began about how and how much to forgive those Christians who had given way to imperial orders – the so-called ‘lapsed’."
— 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 174:
"They do not feel connected to any gay/lesbian communities. Nor do they feel able to establish relationships with anyone who can support them. Thus an inexperienced but sincere young heterosexual actor can find himself playing not only role model but also confessor and phantom friend to people in great need."
— 1994 October, Larry Gross, “Coming Out On the Soaps”, in Gay Community News, page 14:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The wise old priest served as a kind ____ to troubled souls.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
For years, the old priest acted as a trusted ____ for the troubled villagers.