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Synonyms

admission

American  
[ad-mish-uhn] / ædˈmɪʃ ən /

noun

  1. the act of allowing to enter; entrance granted by permission, by provision or existence of pecuniary means, or by the removal of obstacles.

    the admission of foreign aid workers into the zone of active conflict.

  2. right or permission to enter.

    granting admission to the rare books room.

    Synonyms:
    access
  3. the price paid for entrance, as to a theater or ball park.

  4. an act or condition of being received or accepted in a position, profession, occupation, or office; appointment.

    admission to the bar.

  5. confession of a charge, an error, or a crime; acknowledgment.

    His admission of the theft solved the mystery.

  6. an acknowledgment of the truth of something.

  7. a point or statement admitted; concession.


admission British  
/ ədˈmɪʃən /

noun

  1. permission to enter or the right, authority, etc, to enter

  2. the price charged for entrance

  3. acceptance for a position, office, etc

  4. a confession, as of a crime, mistake, etc

  5. an acknowledgment of the truth or validity of something

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What is an admission? An admission is entrance by permission or the removal of obstacles to entry, as in The admission of girls into the science program has been a long time coming. Admission is also a right or permission to enter, as in Only employees have admission to the backstage area. Admission can also be the price paid in order to enter, as at a sports or theater event. An admission can also be a confession or acknowledgement of the truth, as when you admit that you were the one who broke your mother’s favorite dish. Example: Just the first act of the play was worth the price of admission.

Related Words

See entrance 1.

Other Word Forms

  • admissive adjective
  • nonadmission noun
  • proadmission adjective
  • readmission noun

Etymology

Origin of admission

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French and Latin admissiōn- (stem of admissiō ), equivalent to admiss-, past participial stem of the verb admittere admit + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Govan said he feels more confident than ever as the museum readies for its close-up, with member previews beginning April 19 and general admission on May 4.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Nursing homes, by the industry’s own admission, are understaffed and face increasing challenges.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Liverpool fans have a track record of success with protests - when a mass walkout was organised against a plan to raise general admission prices to £77 in 2016, the club's owners backed down.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Despite her disturbing admission, Ford apparently let the matter go, and he spent the next year and a half pursuing other suspects.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

With that small victory, Lydia resumed work on her admission essay.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner