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Synonyms

in confidence

Idioms  

  1. Also, in strict confidence. Privately, on condition that what is said will not be revealed. For example, The doctor told her in confidence that her mother was terminally ill, or He told us in strict confidence that Gail was pregnant. This idiom was first recorded in 1632. Also see take into one's confidence.

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.

The fall in confidence comes despite an uptick in business activity in February, according to recent PMI data.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

However, the new survey found double-digit, across-the-board declines in confidence in the last year, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

Stidham grew in confidence as the first half progressed, without adding to the lead.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

But the rise in confidence could struggle to hold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

They had hoped their visit would be taken in confidence, a phrase which here means “kept a secret between Mr. Poe and themselves and not blabbed to Count Olaf.”

From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket

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.