Standard Lemma guide

confessional

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /kənˈfɛʃənəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /kənˈfeʃənəl/
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N F EH1 SH AH0 N AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

In the manner or style of a confession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Officially practicing a particular shared religion, as a state or organization; see confessionalism (sense 1).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • confessional community

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A small room where confession—the Sacrament of Penance—is performed in private with a priest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Catholicism, Christianity, Roman-Catholicism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: confession booth

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A confession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A filmed interview in which a cast member speaks directly into the camera commenting on the events of the episode.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: reality television

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a booth where a priest sits to hear confessions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: booth, cubicle, stall, kiosk

History

Etymology

From confession + -al.

From French confessionnal.

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: confesional — Translations
  • Albanian: rrëfyestore — small room where confession is performed
  • Belarusian: спавяда́льня (spavjadálʹnja) — small room where confession is performed
  • Bulgarian: изповеда́лня (izpovedálnja) — small room where confession is performed
  • Catalan: confessionari — small room where confession is performed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 告解室 (gàojiěshì) — small room where confession is performed
  • Czech: zpovědnice — small room where confession is performed
  • Danish: skriftestol — small room where confession is performed
  • Dutch: biechtstoel — small room where confession is performed
  • Esperanto: konfesejo — small room where confession is performed
  • Estonian: pihitool — small room where confession is performed
  • Finnish: rippituoli — small room where confession is performed
  • French: confessionnal — small room where confession is performed
  • German: Beichtstuhl — small room where confession is performed
  • Greek: εξομολογητήριο (exomologitírio) — small room where confession is performed
  • Icelandic: skriftarstóll — small room where confession is performed
  • Irish: bosca éistigh — small room where confession is performed
  • Irish: bosca faoistine — small room where confession is performed
  • Italian: confessionale — small room where confession is performed
  • Japanese: 告解場 (kokkaijō) — small room where confession is performed
  • Korean: 고해실 (gohaesil) — small room where confession is performed
  • Latvian: biktskrēsls — small room where confession is performed
  • Lithuanian: klausyklà — small room where confession is performed
  • Macedonian: исповедалница (ispovedalnica) — small room where confession is performed
  • Maltese: maqrar — small room where confession is performed
  • Manx: kishtey feyshtyney — small room where confession is performed
  • Norman: confêssionna — small room where confession is performed
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skriftestol — small room where confession is performed
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skriftestol — small room where confession is performed
  • Polish: konfesjonał — small room where confession is performed
  • Portuguese: confessionário — small room where confession is performed
  • Russian: исповеда́льня (ispovedálʹnja) — small room where confession is performed
  • Serbo-Croatian: исповедаоница — small room where confession is performed
  • Serbo-Croatian: ispovedaonica — small room where confession is performed
  • Slovak: spovednica — small room where confession is performed
  • Slovene: spovednica — small room where confession is performed
  • Spanish: confesionario — small room where confession is performed
  • Spanish: confesonario — small room where confession is performed
  • Spanish: confesorio — small room where confession is performed
  • Swedish: bikt — small room where confession is performed
  • Swedish: biktstol — small room where confession is performed
  • Tagalog: kumpisalan — small room where confession is performed
  • Turkish: günah çıkarma odacığı — small room where confession is performed
  • Ukrainian: сповіда́льня (spovidálʹnja) — small room where confession is performed
  • Vilamovian: bajchtštül — small room where confession is performed
  • Walloon: kifessionå — small room where confession is performed
  • Welsh: cyffesfa — small room where confession is performed