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 of confident

• assured
• optimistic
• hopeful
• secure
• self-confident
• proud
• self-assured

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

Ship traffic first started to pick up over the weekend as shipping companies became more confident that talks between the US and Iran were progressing. — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

Merlin, a 2-year-old duck, has taken the internet by storm, captivating fans with his tiny form-fitting Team Mexico jersey and confident waddle around his home of Mexico City. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026

Sipos as Dean, the life of the party, confident bordering on cocky. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 June 2026

But if Universal’s decision to skip such screenings for The Odyssey gets enough attention, other studios could more frequently adopt the move as a confident flex — while studios who opt for such preview screenings might start to be more widely seen as trying to hide the ball. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026

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

Rhymes for confident

• overconfident

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