confessĭo, ōnis, f. [confiteor], a confession, acknowledgment.
I In gen. (in good prose; esp. freq. in Cic. and Quint.), with gen. obj. : errati sui, Cic. Div. 1, 17, 33: ignorationis, id. Ac. 1, 12, 44; cf.: inscitiae suae, Quint. 2, 11, 2: captae pecuniae, Cic. Clu. 53, 148: culpae, Liv. 21, 18, 5; 36, 27, 6: paenitentiae, Quint. 11, 1, 76: vitiorum, Tac. A. 2, 33: facinoris, Suet. Tib. 19. —In plur.: cum ad vos indicia, litteras, confessiohes communis exitii detuli, Cic. Sest. 69, 145.—With acc. and inf.: ea erat confessio caput rerum Romam esse, Liv. 1, 45, 3; so id. 2, 7, 7; 42, 47, 8 al.—With pron. pers. : sua, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 47, § 104; 2, 5, 64, § 166; Liv. 28, 40, 11: confessionibus suis, Cic. Cat. 3, 6, 15.—With gen. subj. : illorum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 40, § 103: inimicorum, id. Red. Quir. 1, 1: omnium, Vell. 2, 43: illa Ciceronis, Quint. 11, 1, 44: adversarii, id. 4, 4, 4; cf. ipsorum, Plin. 9, 7, 6, § 18 al.: extera corporum indubitatas confessiones habent, i. e. proofs of the healing power (of assafoetida), id. 22, 23, 49, § 103.—With de and abl.: immo si actionem stultissimasque de se, nefarias de patre confessiones audisses? Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 2: ipsorum de somno piscium confessio, Plin. 9, 7, 6, § 18.—With abstr. subjects: ea confessionem faciunt, non defensionem, Cato ap. Gell. 7, 3, 15.—
II Esp.
A As a fig. of speech, Quint. 9, 2, 17; 12, 1, 33.—
B In eccl. Lat.
1 A creed, avowal of belief : fidei, Greg. M. Ep. 7, 5: nostra, Vulg. Heb. 3, 1.—
2 An acknowledgment of Christ .
α In gen., Vulg. Rom. 10, 10.—
β Esp., an acknowledgment of Christ under torture; and hence, transf., torture, suffering for religion's sake, Lact. Mort. Pers. 1 init.