LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbsecond conjugation, deponent

cōnfiteor

cōnfiteor (present infinitive cōnfitērī or cōnfitērier, perfect active cōnfessus sum)
Classical[kõːˈfɪ.te.ɔr]Ecclesiastical[koɱˈfiː.te.or]
№ 972 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. deponentto confess, admit
    Confiteor Deo omnipotenti...I confess to almighty God...
  2. deponentto acknowledge, agree
    […] haec ego sīc singula cōnfiteor.c. 84 BCE – 54 BCE, Catullus, Carmina 86.2
  3. deponentfigurativelyto reveal, show
  4. EcclesiasticalLatindeponentto praise, give thanks
    Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius.Give praise to Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

culpam meam ipse dīcō: ``ego fēcī!''
cōnfiteor -ērī cōnfessus — in Mille Verba, Basilica et Iūs

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Fateri · Profiteri · Confiteri

Fateri means to disclose, without any accessory notion, in opp. to celare, Liv. xxiv. 5. Curt. vi. 9; profiteri means to avow, freely and openly, without fear and reserve, whether questioned or not; confiteri, to confess in consequence of questions, menaces, compulsion. The professio has its origin in a noble consciousness, when a man disdains concealment, and is not ashamed of that which he has kept secret; the confessio, in an ignoble consciousness, when a man gives up his secret out of weakness, and is ashamed of that which he confesses. Cic. Cæc. 9, 24. Ita libenter confitetur, ut non solum fateri, sed etiam profiteri videatur. Planc. 25, 62. Rabir. perd. 5. (iv. 30.)

Conjugation conjugation 2 deponent

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.cōnfiteorcōnfitēbarcōnfitēbor———
2nd sg.cōnfitēris
cōnfitēre		cōnfitēbāris
cōnfitēbāre		cōnfitēberis
cōnfitēbere		———
3rd sg.cōnfitēturcōnfitēbāturcōnfitēbitur———
1st pl.cōnfitēmurcōnfitēbāmurcōnfitēbimur———
2nd pl.cōnfitēminīcōnfitēbāminīcōnfitēbiminī———
3rd pl.cōnfitenturcōnfitēbanturcōnfitēbuntur———
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.cōnfitearcōnfitērer——
2nd sg.cōnfiteāris
cōnfiteāre		cōnfitērēris
cōnfitērēre		——
3rd sg.cōnfiteāturcōnfitērētur——
1st pl.cōnfiteāmurcōnfitērēmur——
2nd pl.cōnfiteāminīcōnfitērēminī——
3rd pl.cōnfiteanturcōnfitērentur——
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.cōnfitēre—
pres. 2nd pl.cōnfitēminī—
fut. 2nd sg.cōnfitētor—
fut. 3rd sg.cōnfitētor—
fut. 3rd pl.cōnfitentor—
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivecōnfitērī
cōnfitērier		—
perfect infinitivecōnfessum esse—
future infinitivecōnfessūrum esse—
present participlecōnfitēns
cōnfitente, cōnfitentem, cōnfitentēs, cōnfitentī, cōnfitentia, cōnfitentibus, cōnfitentis, cōnfitentīs, cōnfitentium		—
perfect participlecōnfessus
cōnfessa, cōnfessā, cōnfessae, cōnfessam, cōnfessārum, cōnfessās, cōnfesse, cōnfessī, cōnfessīs, cōnfessō, cōnfessōrum, cōnfessōs		—
future participlecōnfessūrus
cōnfessūra, cōnfessūrā, cōnfessūrae, cōnfessūram, cōnfessūrārum, cōnfessūrās, cōnfessūre, cōnfessūrī, cōnfessūrīs, cōnfessūrō, cōnfessūrōrum, cōnfessūrōs, cōnfessūrum		cōnfitendus
gerundcōnfitendī, cōnfitendō, cōnfitendumsupinecōnfessum, cōnfessū

confĭtĕor, fessus, 2 (arch.
I. inf. confiterier, Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 22), v. dep. fateor, to acknowledge, confess, own, avow (an error, mistake, or a fact previously denied or doubted, etc., implying a sacrifice of will or a change of conviction; while fateor expresses a simple acknowledgment, and profiteor a voluntary avowal), to concede, allow, grant (class. in prose and poetry): quid confitetur, atque ita libenter confitetur, ut non solum fateri sed etiam profiteri videatur? Cic. Caecin. 9, 24; cf.: hic ego non solum confiteor, verum etiam profiteor, id. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 434, 30: tacendo loqui, non infitiando confiteri videbantur, id. Sest. 18, 40.
I. In gen.
(a). With acc.: et genus et divitias meas, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 52: peccatum suum, Cic. N. D. 2, 4, 11: amorem nutrici, Ov. M. 14, 703; cf.: amorem patris nutrici, Quint. 9, 2, 64: crimen, Curt. 6, 11, 31: facinus, id. 8, 8, 2: singula, * Cat. 86, 2: se, to make one's self known (sc. Jovem), Ov. M. 3, 2; cf. deam, Verg. A. 2, 591.—With two accs.: se victos, Cacs. B. C. 1, 84: se imperitum, Quint. 1, 10, 19: causam Caesaris meliorem, id. 5, 11, 42: hoc de statuis, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 60, § 149: summam infirmitatem de se, Quint. 2, 4, 28: de se quid voluerit, id. 8, 4, 23.—
(b). With acc. and inf.: hoc confiteor jure mi obtigisse, Ter. And. 3, 5, 1; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 97; 5, 3, 12: me abs te cupisse laudari aperte atque ingenue confitebar, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 2; 1, 9, 18; id. N. D. 1, 7, 44; Lucr. 1, 271; 1, 826; 2, 691 al.; Quint. 2, 17, 19; 11, 1, 85; Suet. Caes. 52 et saep.—
(g). Absol.: ut eampse vos audistis confiterier, Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 22; Ter. Heaut. 5, 3, 13; id. Phorm. 5, 9 (8), 46: confitentem audire Torquatum, Cic. Fin. 2, 7, 21; Ov. M. 2, 52; 13, 270; Curt. 6, 11, 14; Tac. A. 11, 28: vere, Ov. R. Am. 318; cf.: confessae manus, i. e. confessing defeat, id. M. 5, 215.—
(d). With de: de maleficio, Cic. Rosc. Am. 41, 119; so id. ib. 42, 123; Tac. A. 14, 59; cf. supra, a fin.—
b. Part. perf.: confessus, a, um, in a pass. signif.: aes, Lex XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 15, 13, 11, and 20, 1, 45; Dig. 42, 1, 15; v. under P. a.—Hence,
II. Esp., after the Aug. per., sometimes, to reveal, manifest, make known, show.
(a). With acc.: confessa vultibus iram, Ov. M. 6, 35: motum animi sui lacrimis, Quint. 6, 1, 23: admirationem suam plausu, id. 8, 3, 3; 9, 4, 39: cupidinem coëundi, id. 1, 28, 2. —
(b). With acc. and inf., Quint. 1, 6, 15; 4, 2, 122; Plin. Ep. 3, 14, 3; Pall. Jun. 7, 6.—
III. In eccl. writers, to confess, own, acknowledge: Christum, Prud. στεφ. 5, 40.— With dat.: tibi, Domine, Vulg. Psa. 137, 1: nomini tuo, id. ib. 141, 8.—Absol., Cypr. Ep. 15.—confessus, a, um, P. a.
1. Act., confessing, that has acknowledged, pleaded guilty, etc.: reus, Ov. P. 2, 2, 56: in judicio reus, Dig. 48, 4, 4, § 1.—Subst.: confessi, ōrum, m., criminals who have confessed their guilt: de confessis supplicium sumere, Sall. C. 52, 36.—
2. Pass., lit., acknowledged; hence, undoubted, evident, certain, incontrovertible (most freq. in the post-Aug. per.): ut omnes intellegant, quam improbam, quam manifestam, quam confessam rem pecuniā redimere conetur, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 56, § 130: confessā in re, Plin. 7, 49, 50, § 164; 20, 11, 45, § 116.—Esp., subst.: confessum, i, n., an undoubted, certain, acknowledged thing, matter: a confessis transeamus ad dubiā, Sen. Q. N. 2, 21, 1: adhuc versamur in confessis, Quint. 7, 1, 48: de confessis disserere, Plin. 10, 49, 70, § 138 al.—Hence the phrases: ex confesso, confessedly, beyond doubt, Quint. 3, 5, 3; Sen. Ep. 76, 12: in confesso esse, to be notorious, everywhere known, id. Ben. 3, 11, 2; id. Brev. Vit. 2, 3; id. Q. N. 2, 22, 2; Vell. 2, 85, 4; Plin. 35, 8, 34, § 54; Tac. Or. 25; 27: vita cervis in confesso longa est, Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 191; Amm. 21, 1, 3: in confessum venire, to be generally acknowledged, be well known, Plin. Ep. 10, 81 (85), 8; cf.: ad liquidum confessumque perducere omnia, Quint. 5, 14, 28: pro confesso habere aliquid, Lact. 2, 8.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Latincōnfiteor

Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-der. Proto-Italic *fatēōr Latin fateor Latin cōnfiteor From con- + fateor (“acknowledge, own (up to)”).

Descendants
  • Englishconfiteor
  • Spanishconfíteor
  • Catalanconfessarfrom Vulgar Latin confessō
  • Englishconfessfrom Vulgar Latin confessō
  • Frenchconfesserfrom Vulgar Latin confessō
  • Romanianconfesafrom Vulgar Latin confessō
  • Italianconfessarefrom Vulgar Latin confessō
  • Portugueseconfessarfrom Vulgar Latin confessō
  • Spanishconfesarfrom Vulgar Latin confessō

In English words that came into English from cōnfiteor

  • confessioncōnfessiō
  • confessconfessus
  • confessorcōnfessor
  • confitentconfitens
  • confiteorcōnfiteor

Quick answers

What does cōnfiteor mean in Latin?
cōnfiteor, a verb, means “to confess, admit; to acknowledge, agree; to reveal, show”.
What are the principal parts of cōnfiteor?
cōnfiteor, cōnfitērī, cōnfessus sum (second conjugation, deponent).
How do you pronounce cōnfiteor?
In classical Latin, [kõːˈfɪ.te.ɔr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [koɱˈfiː.te.or].
Where does cōnfiteor come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? → Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm → Proto-Italic *kom → Proto-Italic *kom- → Latin cōnfiteor.
Which English words come from cōnfiteor?
English words that go back to Latin cōnfiteor include confess, confitent, confiteor, confession and confessor.