admission
Americannoun
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admissions
plural
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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.
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right or permission to enter.
granting admission to the rare books room.
- Synonyms:
- access
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the price paid for entrance, as to a theater or ball park.
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an act or condition of being received or accepted in a position, profession, occupation, or office; appointment.
admission to the bar.
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confession of a charge, an error, or a crime; acknowledgment.
His admission of the theft solved the mystery.
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an acknowledgment of the truth of something.
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a point or statement admitted; concession.
noun
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permission to enter or the right, authority, etc, to enter
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the price charged for entrance
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acceptance for a position, office, etc
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a confession, as of a crime, mistake, etc
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an acknowledgment of the truth or validity of something
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.
Synonym Usage
See entrance 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing admission
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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Education and Academics, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
They also highlighted immense pressures on students in India, the world's most populous nation where admission to government-run colleges remains one of the most sought-after pathways to economic security.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Tucked into the “quick facts” of the government’s press release, beneath ministerial quotes about climate change driving ever more severe disasters, was the quiet admission that wildfire activity “remains below the five-year average.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
If passed, general admission to the 133-acre zoo in Griffith Park will rise to $29 for adults, $24 for children, and $26 for seniors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The open letter added that Fifa's admission of mistakes made in the FFE process did not go far enough.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The new rule promised to be “the toughest admission and eviction policy that HUD has implemented.”
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
The clearest benefit was a reduction in hospital admissions for heart failure, which fell by an average of 25%.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
That epidemic led to 75 deaths in California and more than 3,000 hospital admissions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Defence lawyer Mohamed Sakr said in court that the order prohibiting Ahmed from assaulting, threatening, stalking or intimidating his father had been accepted without admissions, according to national broadcaster ABC.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Energy Department officials told The Times the admissions were solely to expedite the litigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
To save time, I duck between the trees and hurry across the manicured lawn to the front door, making it to the admissions office with ten minutes to spare.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
