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.

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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

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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

Explanation

If you pay admission, you're paying a fee in order to attend something, like an event or a movie. After you pay admission to the movie theater, you head straight to the popcorn stand. The noun admission stems from the Latin word admissionem, meaning "a letting in." It often refers to a fee charged for entry, but it can also describe the process of being granted entry. The university's admission of the new student was welcome news — now he has access to the school's research facilities. An admission can also be a confession that something is true, such as your brother's surly admission that he was the one who popped your bike tire.

Example Sentences

At $30, adult admission to see the 44th president’s story is more than at any other U.S. presidential library, a Wall Street Journal review shows.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

I quickly realized that the lines were unavoidable and if I really needed to go, it was usually faster to go to the porta-potties in the general admission or VIP areas.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Morgan made the admission after audience members told her of difficult experiences they had with NHS services provided by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The admission comes after previous budgetary requests for a $1.5 trillion military budget in 2027.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Artsy Fartsy has 50 percent off their admission for Teen Thursdays and Dadi gives me the ten bucks if it’s to spend some quality time with Maddie.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• accession
• admittance
• assertion
• concession
• confirmation
• disclosure
• revelation
• statement
• testimony