Lewis & Short

confĭtĕor, fessus, 2 (arch. 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.

  1. I. In gen.
          1. (α) 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.
          2. (β) 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.
          3. (γ) 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.
          4. (δ) With de: de maleficio, Cic. Rosc. Am. 41, 119; so id. ib. 42, 123; Tac. A. 14, 59; cf. supra, a fin.
        1. 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,
  2. II. Esp., after the Aug. per., sometimes, to reveal, manifest, make known, show.
          1. (α) 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.
          2. (β) With acc. and inf., Quint. 1, 6, 15; 4, 2, 122; Plin. Ep. 3, 14, 3; Pall. Jun. 7, 6.
  3. 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. 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. 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.