admit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
admits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
admitted,
past participle, past
-
admitting
present participle
-
to allow to enter; grant or afford entrance to.
to admit a student to college.
- Synonyms:
- receive
-
to give right or means of entrance to.
This ticket admits two people.
-
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.
-
to permit to exercise a certain function or privilege.
admitted to the bar.
-
to permit; allow.
-
to allow or concede as valid.
to admit the force of an argument.
-
to acknowledge; confess.
He admitted his guilt.
-
to grant in argument; concede.
The fact is admitted.
-
to have capacity for.
This passage admits two abreast.
verb (used without object)
-
admits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
admitted,
past participle, past
-
admitting
present participle
-
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)
-
(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
Synonym Usage
See acknowledge.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
admitternoun
-
readmitverb
-
preadmitverb (used with object)
-
admittableadjective
-
admittibleadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
admitsimple
-
admitssimple
-
have admittedperfect
-
has admittedperfect
-
am admittingprogressive
-
are admittingprogressive
-
is admittingprogressive
-
have been admittingperfect progressive
-
has been admittingperfect progressive
Past
-
admittedsimple
-
had admittedperfect
-
was admittingprogressive
-
were admittingprogressive
-
had been admittingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
When you admit something, you confess that it happened. It wasn't easy to admit that you'd broken the vase, but how else could you explain that your hand was glued to it? Besides meaning "confess," admit can also mean "let in," like a theater ticket that says "ADMIT ONE." If you admit that you have a bag of popcorn hidden in your backpack, you might not be admitted to the movie. A doorway admits you into a room, and if a room can hold up to 50 people, that room admits 50. You can even use admit for metaphorical entrances, like the way your wild style admits you into high fashion circles.
Vocabulary lists containing admit
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Because of Winn-Dixie
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf: A New Telling
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Jeff Bezos went to the event hoping to persuade board members to admit him to the club, according to people who attended the event.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
They are uncomfortable with the idea of books being destroyed - even if they admit not every title needs to be saved.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
"We want our students not just to pass, but really flourish and do well. You can't admit students who aren't going to be able to take advantage of the opportunity that universities are offering."
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
I never became “unrecognizable,” and I spent more time than I’d like to admit looking at myself in the mirror and comparing what I saw to photos of the younger, fatter version of myself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
But when I let myself remember everything, I have to admit that this person has always been there too.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Taylor has stayed off social media in recent years, but admits there is a limit to avoiding the scrutiny.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
“I anticipate a lot of criticism,” Rideaux admits, adding that 10 years in the music industry have prepared him for the scrutiny.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
When a brooding Pitt admits he’s had trouble with “family stuff,” the writer lets the sentiment disintegrate.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Past performance is hardly prophecy, and even Kaeppel admits that he has struggled to produce an explanation for why this seven-year cycle has seemingly worked as well as it has.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Yeah, I might,” he admits, “but I’m sure.”
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Within the first 40 days after patients were admitted to the hospital, the researchers identified 11 reactivated viruses.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
He professed a fondness for Tupac Shakur and electronic dance music, discussed UFO sightings around U.S. military installations and admitted his ideal fall Saturday involves spending hours watching college football.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Every institution receiving federal funds should be required to disclose the full racial and statistical profile of applicants, admitted students and matriculants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
In an interview with The Times earlier this month, Arday admitted making academic "mistakes" but said he was being wrongly "portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud".
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
“I've never done a rescue mission before,” Ella admitted.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
But it would take nearly 45 years and a prosecutor admitting he failed to turn over key fingerprint evidence before the courts threw out Brooks’ conviction.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
"This is the first step of a long walk towards absolute and authentic equality. I choose to be optimistic," she said, admitting the vote had made her "more hopeful."
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
Despite admitting that he’d like to be asked back to the band, bad blood lingered.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Gianni Infantino will remain as Fifa president after he received the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco, despite world football's governing body admitting "mistakes" have been made.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Don't answer, and it's like you're admitting it's okay for Wilcox to be ripping into you.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
