admit

[ad-mit]

verb (used with object)

admitted, admitting 

1. to allow to enter; grant or afford entrance to.

   to admit a student to college.

   Synonyms: receive

2. to give right or means of entrance to.

   This ticket admits two people.

3. 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.

4. to permit to exercise a certain function or privilege.

   admitted to the bar.

5. to permit; allow.

6. to allow or concede as valid.

   to admit the force of an argument.

7. to acknowledge; confess.

   He admitted his guilt.

   Synonyms: avow, own

8. to grant in argument; concede.

   The fact is admitted.

9. to have capacity for.

   This passage admits two abreast.

verb (used without object)

admitted, admitting 

1. to permit entrance; give access.

   This door admits to the garden.

2. to permit the possibility of something; allow (usually followed byof ).

   The contract admits of no other interpretation.

admit

/ ədˈmɪt /

verb

1. (may take a clause as object) to confess or acknowledge (a crime, mistake, etc)

2. (may take a clause as object) to concede (the truth or validity of something)

3. to allow to enter; let in

4. (foll by to) to allow participation (in) or the right to be part (of)

   to admit to the profession

5. to allow (of); leave room (for)

6. (intr) to give access

   the door admits onto the lawn

Other Word Forms

• admittable adjective
• admittible adjective
• admitter noun
• preadmit verb (used with object)
• readmit verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of admit¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of admit¹

C14: from Latin admittere to let come or go to, from ad- to + mittere to send

Synonym Study

See acknowledge.

Example Sentences

Number eight Alex Matthews admitted she was taken aback to be handed the captaincy.

From BBC

Rayner quit the cabinet after admitting she had underpaid stamp duty when buying a flat earlier this year.

From BBC

She said younger shoppers were moving more towards TikTok for their health and beauty products - but, Bodycare's administrators admitted, a move to online was something it struggled with.

From BBC

Two years later, she was admitted to hospital suffering from "nervous exhaustion" but gradually returned to public life - where she took a close interest in organisations that helped the young and the elderly.

From BBC

Angela Rayner has resigned as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and the deputy leader of the Labour Party, after admitting she underpaid tax after buying a flat in Hove.

From BBC

Related Words

• accept 
• affirm 
• agree 
• allow 
• approve 
• concede 
• confirm 
• declare 
• disclose 
• grant 
• indicate 
• permit 
• recognize 
• reveal 
• talk 
• tell