noun · formal
confession
/kənˈfɛʃən/con·FES·sion
a statement admitting that one has committed a crime or done something wrong
Examples
“Under pressure, the suspect made a full confession.”
“A false confession can seriously mislead an investigation.”
“The police recorded the confession during the interview.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although the defendant gave a confession, the defence argued it had been obtained under duress and should be excluded from evidence.”
Collocations
- make a confession
- false confession
- extract a confession
Word family
Common mistakes
He confessed the crime.→He confessed to the crime.
They made a confession but later said it was forced.→They made a confession but later claimed it was coerced.
Say it for a higher band
5say sorry→6admission→7+confession
Synonyms
admission
Easily confused
admission
“His admission that he had lied was important, but it was not a criminal confession.”
Related words
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In Crime & Law
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