admit

1 of 2

verb

ad·​mit əd-ˈmit 

ad-

admitted; admitting

transitive verb

1

a

: to allow scope for : permit

admits no possibility of misunderstanding

b

: to concede as true or valid

admitted making a mistake

2

a

: to allow entry (as to a place, fellowship, or privilege)

an open window had admitted rain

admitted to the club

b

: to accept into a hospital as an inpatient

he was admitted last night for chest pains

intransitive verb

1

: to give entrance or access

2

a

: allow, permit

admits of two interpretations

b

: to make acknowledgment

—used with to

admitted to having doubts

admit

2 of 2

noun

US

: a person who is admitted into a school, hospital, etc.

When a patient is transferred, the nurse will take the next new admit—unless her patient is transferred to a hospital for only a temporary stay.

—Sally Seaver

Synonyms

Verb

• acknowledge
• agree
• allow
• concede
• confess
• fess (up)
• grant
• own (up to)

Choose the Right Synonym for admit

acknowledge, admit, own, avow, confess mean to disclose against one's will or inclination.

acknowledge implies the disclosing of something that has been or might be concealed.

acknowledged an earlier peccadillo

admit implies reluctance to disclose, grant, or concede and refers usually to facts rather than their implications.

admitted the project was over budget

own implies acknowledging something in close relation to oneself.

must own I know little about computers

avow implies boldly declaring, often in the face of hostility, what one might be expected to be silent about.

avowed that he was a revolutionary

confess may apply to an admission of a weakness, failure, omission, or guilt.

confessed a weakness for sweets

Examples of admit in a Sentence

Verb

You know you're wrong! Admit it!

I hate to admit it, but he's right.

This ticket admits one person.

He admitted them into his office.

They refused to admit her to the club.

The patient was very sick when she was admitted to the hospital.

He was admitted last night for chest pains.

The judge decided to admit the evidence.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The defendants did not plead guilty to the second charge of reckless endangerment but admitted that there were sufficient facts to be found guilty. —Shelley Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023

The pair also took two of AMG’s sportier models—Hamilton the new GT and Russell the C63 S E Performance—drifting, an activity both readily admit was made easier thanks to Drift Mode. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2023

Every major comic was asked, Suh admitted in a Q&A after the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Sunday night. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2023

Elsewhere, the two had a difficult heart-to-heart where Marshall admitted their communication styles were drastically different and incompatible. —Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023

The doors open at 7 p.m. and music begins at 8 p.m. Port City Blues Society members are admitted free. —Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2023

The nonprofit said that more than 25 percent of its animal patients were admitted due to negative interactions with people and dogs — highlighting the impacts of human interference in wildlife. —Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023

Both Ryan and Eva appear rather uncomfortable here, Donaldson admits. —Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, 10 Sep. 2023

That being said, Benson admits our society’s diet culture often demonizes sugar, leaving us feeling guilty or shameful after consuming a sugary beverage. —USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023

Noun

In fact, schools with low single-digit admit rates could do this many times over. —Brennan Barnard, Forbes, 2 June 2022

For now, Democrats appear to be returning to the phone calls and virtual events that many in the party admit are not nearly as compelling as the face-to-face interactions with prospective voters at rallies and on front porches. —Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2022

To stem that, 60% admit to checking their work emails during PTO, which often doesn’t even help; 61% have to work longer hours post-PTO to catch up anyway. —Jane Thier, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2022

Even high school graduates who plan to go to college admit to doubts. —Jon Marcus, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2022

Even when people take time out, half admit to bringing their work laptops on vacation, and 41% frequently join video calls, which leaves them even more exhausted. —David Morel, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022

Hours after the incident, Beamish met with his accomplice and a witness, who allegedly heard Beamish admit to participating in the home invasion but didn’t know that Boerma had died from his injuries, Murphy said. —William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2022

In a separate study, of those who work from home, about 91% admit to not taking a break — not even for lunch. —Ebony Williams, ajc, 6 May 2022

Meanwhile, 67% admit that failure to invest in a digital future means that there won’t be much of a future to consider. —Dmitry Dolgorukov, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English admitten, borrowed from Anglo-French admitter, admetter, admettre, borrowed from Latin admittere "to allow entrance or approach," from ad- ad- + mittere "to release, let go, discharge, let fly, throw down, send (for a purpose)," perhaps going back to Indo-European *mei̯th₂- "alternate, exchange, remove" (assuming sense shift "exchange" > "give, bestow" > "let go, send"), from whence, with varying ablaut grades, Sanskrit méthati "treats hostilely, abuses," mitháḥ "mutually, alternately," míthū "in opposed directions, wrongly," Avestan mōiθat̰ "will deprive," hǝ̄m.aibī.mōist "(s/he) joins," West Germanic *meiþ-a- "conceal, avoid" (presumably "remove" > "remove oneself"), whence Old English mīðan "to conceal, dissemble," Old Saxon miđan, Old High German mīdan "to avoid, shy away from, conceal"

Note: See also forms at etymology of mutable descending from a causative derivative *moi̯th₂-. The short vowel and geminate consonant in mittere is usually explained as an instance of the "littera-rule" (or "Iuppiter-rule"), whereby certain pre-Latin diphthongs are resolved as either long vowel + single consonant or short vowel + geminate consonant; in most such cases examples of both alternates are attested, though in this instance no attestation of mīt- is known.

Noun

derivative of admit entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1974, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing admit

• admit defeat
• I have to admit
• you have to admit
• admit to
• admit of

• admit defeat
• I have to admit
• you have to admit
• admit to
• admit of

Kids Definition

admit

verb

ad·​mit əd-ˈmit 

ad-

admitted; admitting

1

a

: to allow room for : permit

a question that admits two answers

b

: to make known usually with some unwillingness

admitted that he really didn't know

admit a mistake

2

: to allow entry : let in

admit a state to the Union

Medical Definition

admit

transitive verb

ad·​mit əd-ˈmit, ad- 

admitted; admitting

: to accept (someone) into a hospital, clinic, or other treatment facility as an inpatient

he was admitted last night for chest pains

Legal Definition

admit

verb

ad·​mit

admitted; admitting

transitive verb

1

: to concede as true or valid : make an admission of

2

: to allow to be entered or offered

admitted the document into evidence

admit a will to probate

intransitive verb

: to make acknowledgment

—used with to

admits to the murder