Did you know?
If you're confident of the trustworthiness of your confidants, you're tuned into the origins of the word confidant. The word comes, via French, from the Italian confidente, meaning "trusting, having trust in," from Latin confīdere, meaning "to put one’s trust in, have confidence in.” Other descendants of confīdere in English include confide, confidence, confident, and confidential, all of which ultimately have Latin fīdere, meaning "to trust (in), rely (on)," as their root. Confidant (and its variant confidante, used especially of a woman) and confident are often confused, a topic about which we have plenty to say.
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 confidant in a Sentence
Tribune News Service, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
No wonder Zamiri has found himself in the inner circles of some of the world’s most interesting and sought-after stars, and not just as the visionary behind their music videos or press campaigns, but also as a friend and confidant.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
And since season two of Power and season two of Force, Gary Lennon has been my rock, my confidant.
—Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026
One was Gösta Stenman, who served as Schjerfbeck’s gallerist and local champion; the other was Einar Reuter, a young forester and artist, who became her confidant and crush.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confidant
Cite this Entry
“Confidant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confidant. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
confidant
noun
