Confessor

/kənˈfɛsə/ · noun

Meaning

One who confesses faith in Christianity in the face of persecution, but who is not martyred..

Definitions by Sense

1. One who confesses faith in Christianity in the face of persecution, but who is not martyred.
2. One who confesses to having done something wrong.
3. (Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism) A priest who hears confession and then gives absolution.
4. (by extension, figurative) Someone who acts as listener and helper.

Example Sentences

Long before Edward I, the English had a King Edward who they considered a martyr and a King Edward who they considered a confessor.

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’.

Near-synonym: confessant

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.

Synonyms for confessor

Antonyms for confessor

Related Words

Word Forms

• confessors
• confessour

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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