confessed

Confessed is the past participle of confess and is used as a verb or an adjective to describe admitting something that is true or acknowledged. It commonly refers to admitting wrongdoing, a crime, a belief, or a fact that was previously denied or uncertain.

Etymology: confess comes from Latin confiteri, via Old French confesser. The Latin verb is built from con- (together) and fateri (to admit or acknowledge); the noun confession and the participle confessed derive from the same root.

In criminal law, a confession is a statement in which the suspect or defendant admits guilt. Voluntary confessions are generally given weight as evidence, while coerced or involuntary statements may be excluded. Modern systems emphasize preventing coercion and protecting rights, such as the right to remain silent.

In religious contexts, confession refers to the act of acknowledging sins to God or to a priest; in Catholicism, it is part of the sacrament of reconciliation and may involve absolution and penance. The term can also describe a person who admits a belief or stance, or who acknowledges a fact about themselves, often with emphasis or certainty.

Usage notes: self-confessed or self-confessed, often hyphenated, emphasizes that the person admits something of their own accord. Confessed can carry moral weight or imply certainty; in neutral writing, synonyms such as admitted or acknowledged may be used depending on context.