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.
-
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.
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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
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(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.
“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 was too far deep that I didn't want to admit that it was a scam, because I really wanted to live in that flat," says Hu.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
I had to admit that Elliot’s quick thinking was pretty impressive, while I bumbled around, obviously clueless about what was going on or where exactly I was.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
