confidant

American  

[kon-fi-dant, -dahnt, -duhnt, kon-fi-dant, -dahnt] / ˈkɒn fɪˌdænt, -ˌdɑnt, -dənt, ˌkɒn fɪˈdænt, -ˈdɑnt /

noun

• confidants
  plural

1. 

   a close friend or associate to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed.

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confidant British  

/ ˌkɒnfɪˈdænt, ˈkɒnfɪˌdænt /

noun

1. a person, esp a man, to whom private matters are confided

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Usage

What’s the difference between confidant, confidante, and confident? Confidant is a noun meaning someone you feel comfortable telling secret or private things to—a person you confide in. The word confidante is a gender-specific form of confidant that’s applied to women. Confident is an adjective that means sure of oneself or one’s abilities, or having a high level of certainty about something. Very rarely, the word confident can be used as a noun meaning the same thing as confidant, but we’re pretty confident almost no one uses it this way. We’re also sorry to report that there’s a kind of sofa called a confidente that can also be called a confidante, but honestly you’ll be better off if you just forget we ever said anything about it. Confidant and confidante are borrowed from French, which has grammatical gender, so some words end differently depending on whether they are applied to men or women (with e being the feminine ending). This happens in a few other pairs of words in English, like blond and blonde, though in many cases the term without the e has become largely gender-neutral. This is the case with confidant, which is the more commonly used of the two. What’s the best way to be confident that you’re using the right word? Just remember that the ending of both confidant and confidante sounds like the more formal pronunciation of aunt—your aunt could be your confidant (as could your commandant, the ending of which also sounds the same). The ending of confident, on the other hand, sounds like dent. Here’s an example of confidant and confident used correctly in the same sentence. (The word confidant could be replaced with confidante if you were referring to a woman and wanted to make the term gender-specific.)Example: I am confident that what I confide to my confidant stays confidential. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between confidant, confidante, and confident.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• confidants
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of confidant

1705–15; < French confident < Italian confidente, noun use of adj.; see confident

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Explanation

A confidant is the person you tell your secrets to. Your confidant has all the dirt on you, so don't forget his birthday or he might start talking... Confidants are people you trust enough to tell anything, like that you cried during The Muppet Movie. They might give advice, too. The President has lots of confidants in his inner circle who not only know all about secret government issues, but also give their opinions about what actions he should take. Make sure to spell the word with the ant ending, because confident means something else. Think of confiding in your aunt, your confidANT.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

confidant confidants

He flew to Bangui to meet with Wagner’s local frontman, Dmitry Sytii, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s former confidant, and Denis Suprunov, Wagner’s local military commander, said researchers and security officials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

“Bobby Robotowitz” follows Dina, a flailing novelist, mother and wife, as she begins chatting with Bobby, whom she finds an unlikely confidant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

How does one cultivate the abilities necessary to become that confidant?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

It was Cerimedo who helped broker then-candidate Milei’s celebrated 2023 interview with Tucker Carlson, at the time a Trump confidant, an appearance that thrust Milei into the international spotlight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Vincent finds her a great confidant and kindred spirit.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Raducanu feels more relaxed - and therefore plays better - when she is surrounded by long-time confidants who she trusts implicitly.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

The government has dismantled much of the Chapitos organization, particularly Iván Archivaldo’s network of close confidants and lieutenants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

But McCarthy’s closest confidants are men who’ve never set foot on a film set, men never trailed by paparazzi, and it’s those relationships to which he tends in “Who Needs Friends.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

They have pushed the president to replace him, but Trump has resisted, telling confidants he appreciates Pulte’s loyalty, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2025

People who never had known what it was to enter the gate of the Mayor’s yard unless it were to do some menial job now paraded in and out as his confidants.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

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Related Words

• acquaintance
• adviser
• companion
• crony

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