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 But Mitchell, who took over as CEO in 2022, is confident the region is on the rise. Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024 Two intersecting storylines involve confident tween girls pushing for more independence in ways that put themselves and their parents in harm’s way. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 The hope, of course, is that this team will respond the same way: an imaginary weight lifted from their shoulders that morphs into a loose, free, confident and determined group going forward. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 These terms may be used to describe how confident your healthcare provider is in your test results. Brandon Peters, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2024 Rita is very confident and has always embraced her natural beauty. Debra Edwards, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024 If Sheryl Lee Ralph had to describe herself in a few words, confident would probably make the list. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 21 Mar. 2024 After leaving direct sales, Paulson eventually switched her professional focus to coaching, another enterprise that requires little in the way of licensure or qualifications beyond confident self-presentation and a nose for an easy mark. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024 Ambitious and confident, Aries have a take-charge attitude. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 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 28 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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