Meanings
plural shrifts
- countableuncountableThe act of going to or hearing a religious confession.
For seldom did she go to chapel-shrift, / And seldom felt she any hunger-pain; [...]
1820, John Keats, “Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil. A Story from Boccaccio.”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, stanza LIX, page 78 - countableuncountableConfession to a priest.
- countableobsoleteuncountableForgiveness given by a priest after confession; remission.
[Friar:] Be plain, good son, and homely in thy drift. / Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift.
c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)kreybʰ-“to scratch, tear”
- Latinscrībō“to write”
- Proto-Germanic*skrībaną“to write”
- Old Englishsċrift“penance, shrift; something prescribed as punishment, penalty; one who passes sentence, a judge”
- Middle Englishshrift“confession to a priest; act or instance of this; sacrament of penance; penance assigned by a priest; penitence, repentance; punishment for sin”
- Englishshrift
From Middle English shrift (“confession to a priest; act or instance of this; sacrament of penance; penance assigned by a priest; penitence, repentance; punishment for sin”) [and other forms], from Old English sċrift (“penance, shrift; something prescribed as punishment, penalty; one who passes sentence, a judge”), from sċrīfan (“of a priest: to prescribe absolution or penance; to pass judgment, ordain, prescribe; to appoint, decree”) (whence shrive), from Proto-Germanic *skrībaną (“to write”), from Latin scrībō (“to write”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- (“to scratch, tear”). Equivalent to shrive + -t.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian и́зповед, и́зповед
- и́зповед (ízpoved)act of going to or hearing a religious confession
- и́зповед (ízpoved)confession to a priest
- опроще́ние (oprošténie)forgiveness given by a priest after confession
Czech zpověď, odpuštění
- zpověďact of going to or hearing a religious confession
- odpuštěníact of going to or hearing a religious confession
- zpověďconfession to a priest
- odpuštěníforgiveness given by a priest after confession
Finnish rippi, ripittäytyminen
- rippiconfession to a priest
- ripittäytyminenconfession to a priest
German Beichte, Beichtablegung
- Beichteact of going to or hearing a religious confession
- Beichtablegungact of going to or hearing a religious confession
- Beichtgangact of going to or hearing a religious confession
- Beichteconfession to a priest
- Sündenerlassforgiveness given by a priest after confession
- Sündenvergebungforgiveness given by a priest after confession
- Absolutionforgiveness given by a priest after confession
Russian испове́дание, и́споведь
- испове́дание (ispovédanije)act of going to or hearing a religious confession
- и́споведь (íspovedʹ)confession to a priest
- отпуще́ние грехо́в (otpuščénije grexóv)forgiveness given by a priest after confession
Swedish skriftermål, bikt
- skriftermålact of going to or hearing a religious confession
- biktact of going to or hearing a religious confession
- skriftermålconfession to a priest
- biktconfession to a priest
- syndaförlåtelseforgiveness given by a priest after confession
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with shrift
Cite this entry
shrift. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrift
“shrift.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrift. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shrift,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrift.
Source: shrift on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.