confident

adjective

con·​fi·​dent ˈkän-fə-dənt 

-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.

Synonyms

• assured
• secure
• self-asserting
• self-assured
• self-confident

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

Creating products that make consumers feel comfortable and confident in their jeans is one way to ensure their longevity in closets. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 23 July 2024

Nicolas Nordman, Deputy Paris Mayor in charge of security, told CNN that authorities had been working for months to try to anticipate what might happen and were confident the ceremony would be safe. —Ben Church, CNN, 23 July 2024

But industry watchdogs are confident the entire auto industry is carefully watching what happens next. —Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 22 July 2024

In the end, however, the club was confident enough in its numerous arms on the mend to try to recoup something for Paxton before next Tuesday’s trade deadline. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2024

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

Kids Definition

confident

adjective

con·​fi·​dent ˈkän-fəd-ənt 

-fə-ˌdent

: having or showing confidence : sure, self-assured

confident of winning

a confident manner

confidently adverb