confident

adjective

con·​fi·​dent ˈkän-fə-dənt How to pronounce confident (audio)
-ˌdent
1
: full of conviction : certain
confident of success
confident that conditions will improve
2
: having or showing assurance and self-reliance
a confident young businessman
a confident manner
3
obsolete : trustful, confiding
confidently adverb

Did you know?

Is it confident or confidant? (Or is it confidante?)

If you find yourself unsure whether you should choose confident or confidant don’t feel bad; confidant comes to English from the French word confident, and when the word first entered our language it was often spelled that way, rather than as confidant. The difference is quite simple: confidant is a noun (meaning "a person in whom you confide things"), and confident is an adjective (defined as “having confidence”). You may well be confident in your confidant, but you would not be confidant in your confident. Although this distinction has not always been observed by writers, confidante is generally used for a female confidant. The word confidant is more frequently used to describe a man, but it may be applied to either gender.

Examples of confident in a Sentence

I am confident about my ability to do the job. The players seem more relaxed and confident this season. He has become more confident in his Spanish-speaking skills. They have a confident air about them. We are confident that conditions will improve soon.
Recent Examples on the Web This is the pitch that Emet is making: through a classical education, students can become confident in themselves as Jews, and as Americans. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The gay men were breezy, bossy, confident; the straight men were generally hapless and abashed. Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 From the tangerine silk to the flattering yet subtle beading and high slit, King looked confident and beautiful. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, seems confident in knowing who’ll win that fight. Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Sara, the escort, arrives, confident and in control. Callum McLennan, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 While strong performers are burrowing down in their current roles, those who feel less confident are fervently looking for new positions, says Aaron Terrazas, Glassdoor’s chief economist. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Ultimately there just wasn’t enough confident chocolateness here to make 365 a serious contender. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2024 But new-to-the-series directors Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine seem less confident than the previous filmmakers that Zen sections of their screenplay (by returning writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger and franchise first-timer Darren Lemke) can keep the youths entertained. Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confident.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin confīdent-, confīdens "trusting in oneself, assured, presumptuous," from present participle of confīdere "to put trust in, have confidence in, be sure" — more at confide

First Known Use

circa 1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confident was circa 1567

Dictionary Entries Near confident

Cite this Entry

“Confident.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confident. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

confident

adjective
con·​fi·​dent ˈkän-fəd-ənt How to pronounce confident (audio)
-fə-ˌdent
: having or showing confidence : sure, self-assured
confident of winning
a confident manner
confidently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on confident

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