admit
Americanverb (used with object)
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to allow to enter; grant or afford entrance to.
to admit a student to college.
- Synonyms:
- receive
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to give right or means of entrance to.
This ticket admits two people.
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to register (a person) as an inpatient at a hospital.
After seeing the test results, the emergency room doctor admitted her and put her on intravenous fluids.
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to permit to exercise a certain function or privilege.
admitted to the bar.
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to permit; allow.
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to allow or concede as valid.
to admit the force of an argument.
-
to acknowledge; confess.
He admitted his guilt.
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to grant in argument; concede.
The fact is admitted.
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to have capacity for.
This passage admits two abreast.
verb (used without object)
-
to permit entrance; give access.
This door admits to the garden.
-
to permit the possibility of something; allow (usually followed byof ).
The contract admits of no other interpretation.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object) to confess or acknowledge (a crime, mistake, etc)
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(may take a clause as object) to concede (the truth or validity of something)
-
to allow to enter; let in
-
(foll by to) to allow participation (in) or the right to be part (of)
to admit to the profession
-
to allow (of); leave room (for)
-
(intr) to give access
the door admits onto the lawn
Related Words
See acknowledge.
Other Word Forms
- admittable adjective
- admitter noun
- admittible adjective
- preadmit verb (used with object)
- readmit verb
Etymology
Origin of admit
First recorded in 1375–1425; from Latin admittere, from ad- ad- + mittere “to send, let go”; replacing late Middle English amitte, with a- a- 5 instead of ad-, from Middle French amettre, from Latin, as above
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.
She did admit to Ford that she still loved Ortiz and “would do anything in the world for him.”
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
“If you want to get paid what you deserve or make a lot of money, you’ve got to admit that to yourself.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Dub Advisors resolved the matter with the Massachusetts Securities Division through a settlement agreement in which the firm didn’t admit or deny breaking the law.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
“I have to admit I don’t know how my parents and my family watched me pitch for all those years,” Jeff said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
I had to admit that it was a nice touch to Mr. Haber’s speech.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
