confessional

Confessional is an adjective and a noun used in religious, literary, and everyday contexts to denote disclosure of beliefs, sins, or personal experiences.

In religious contexts, confession refers to admitting sins or faith commitments to God, often within a formal ritual. In Christianity, this can be part of repentance practices, and in Catholicism the sacrament of Reconciliation (also called confession) involves confessing sins to a priest and seeking absolution. The confessional is also the designated space, such as a booth or room in a church, where the act takes place.

In literature, confessional describes a mode that foregrounds intimate, first-person disclosures about private life. Confessional poetry, a recognized strand of mid-20th-century American poetry, emphasizes personal experience, psychological insight, and taboo or painful subjects. It marked a shift toward candid self-revelation in verse. Notable confessional poets include Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, and John Berryman. The label is primarily scholarly and descriptive, and its boundaries have been debated among critics and writers.

Beyond religion and poetry, the term also appears in everyday language to describe statements, memoirs, or interviews that reveal deeply personal information or beliefs. A confessional account or piece aims to present authentic, uncensored personal perspective, often inviting readers to witness vulnerable aspects of the narrator’s life.