admission

admission — noun

1. a remark in which you say, often reluctantly, that something bad, embarrassing,

1.nounB2
Definition

a remark in which you say, often reluctantly, that something bad, embarrassing, or previously denied is in fact correct or has actually happened.

Example

The mayor's admission that he had lied shocked voters across the city.

admission + that-clause

Saoirse finally made a quiet admission of guilt to his older sister.

admission of + noun (guilt/defeat/failure)

Common collocations
  • frank admission
  • tacit admission
  • reluctant admission
  • rare admission
  • by his/her own admission
  • admission of guilt
  • admission of failure
  • admission of defeat
Synonyms
  • confession

    stronger; usually about wrongdoing or crime

  • acknowledgement

    more neutral; can be about any fact, not only embarrassing ones

  • concession

    admitting a point in an argument or negotiation

Antonyms
  • denial

    saying that something is not true

Grammar Patterns

admission that + clause

admission of + noun

Usage Note

Often used when the speaker is unwilling to admit something — typical adjective collocates are reluctant, frank, tacit, and rare. Distinguish from sense 3 (entry permission): sense 1 is followed by 'that…' or 'of [a fault, mistake, guilt]'.

Common Mistakes

He made an admission to enter the club.
He made an admission of cheating.
sense 1 is about confessing something, not about being let in.
She gave the admission she was wrong.
She made the admission that she was wrong.
use 'make an admission', not 'give'.

2. the price charged for going into a museum, cinema, concert, sports ground, or si

2.nounB1
Definition

the price charged for going into a museum, cinema, concert, sports ground, or similar place.

Example

Admission to the science museum is free for children under twelve.

admission to + place; free admission

We paid the admission and walked straight into the dinosaur hall.

Common collocations
  • free admission
  • admission charge
  • admission fee
  • admission price
  • adult admission
  • general admission
  • advance admission
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

admission to + place

free admission

Usage Note

Usually uncountable in this sense ('admission is free', 'admission costs $5'). Common in signs and tickets: 'Admission $10', 'Free admission'. Pair with 'price', 'fee', or 'charge' rather than 'cost' as a noun.

Common Mistakes

How much is the admission ticket fee?
How much is admission?
the word already covers the entry fee, no need to stack 'ticket fee'.
Admission for the museum is free.
Admission to the museum is free.
use 'to' for the place you enter.

3. the right or official permission to go into a building, area, or event.

3.nounB2
Definition

the right or official permission to go into a building, area, or event.

Example

Two teenagers were refused admission to the concert because they had no ID.

refuse / deny + admission to

The guard at the gate granted admission only to staff with a green badge.

grant admission to

Common collocations
  • refuse admission
  • deny admission
  • grant admission
  • gain admission
  • no admission
  • right of admission
Synonyms
  • entry

    more general; can refer to the act of going in itself

  • access

    broader; covers physical entry and permission to use something

  • entrance

    often used about doorways and the moment of going in

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

admission to + place/event

refuse/grant admission

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable in this sense and very often paired with verbs like refuse, deny, grant, or gain. Distinguish from sense 2 (entry fee): sense 3 is about whether you are allowed in at all, not about how much you pay.

Common Mistakes

They refused his admission to enter the club.
They refused him admission to the club.
drop 'to enter'; the word already means permission to enter.
She got an admission into the meeting.
She gained admission to the meeting.
pair with 'gain' and 'to', not 'get' and 'into'.

4. the act of taking a sick or injured person into a hospital or ward to be cared f

4.nounB2
Definition

the act of taking a sick or injured person into a hospital or ward to be cared for and treated.

Example

The doctor recommended immediate admission to the children's ward for further tests.

admission to + ward / hospital

On admission, every patient is asked about allergies and current medication.

fixed phrase: on admission

Common collocations
  • hospital admission
  • emergency admission
  • on admission
  • admission to a ward
  • admission rate
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

admission to + hospital/ward

on admission

Usage Note

Frequent in healthcare reporting and statistics, often plural ('hospital admissions rose…'). The set phrase 'on admission' means 'at the moment a patient enters the hospital'. Subject is usually the patient or a number.

Common Mistakes

She had an admission in the hospital yesterday.
She was admitted to the hospital yesterday.
for the event itself, prefer the verb form unless reporting numbers.
On the admission he looked pale.
On admission, he looked pale.
the fixed phrase has no 'the'.

5. the process by which a school, college, or university decides which applicants t

5.nounB2
Definition

the process by which a school, college, or university decides which applicants to accept as students; also the office or department that runs this process.

Example

Dilnoza received her admission to Stanford on a snowy Tuesday in March.

admission to + university

The admissions office is open from nine to five during the application season.

compound: admissions office

Common collocations
  • admission requirements
  • admission rate
  • admissions office
  • admission letter
  • graduate admission
  • competitive admission
Synonyms
  • acceptance

    focuses on the school's positive decision

  • enrolment

    the act of officially registering after being accepted

  • matriculation

    formal; the moment of starting at a university

Antonyms
  • rejection

    the school's decision to refuse an applicant

Grammar Patterns

admission to + school/university

admissions office

Usage Note

Often appears in compound forms: admissions office, admission letter, admission requirements, admission rate. Plural 'admissions' is normal when talking about the department or about numbers; singular 'admission' is normal for one person's acceptance.

Common Mistakes

He got an admission in Harvard.
He got admission to Harvard.
use 'to' before the school name.
I am studying for the admission exam.
I am studying for the entrance exam.
many regions say 'entrance exam', not 'admission exam'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe accepting that something is true, but they differ in feel and context. 'Admission' is the everyday word and usually carries a hint of reluctance — you say it because the evidence forces you to. 'Confession' is heavier and often involves wrongdoing, religion, or crime: a suspect confesses to a robbery, but a manager makes an admission about poor results. 'Acknowledgement' is the most neutral — it can be a polite recognition of any fact, even a positive one, with no sense of guilt. 'Concession' belongs to debates and negotiations: you concede a single point without giving up the whole argument. Compare: 'her quiet admission of guilt' (reluctant), 'his tearful confession in court' (about a crime), 'public acknowledgement of her contribution' (neutral praise), and 'a small concession during the meeting' (debate).

admission ↗confession ↗acknowledgementconcession ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • admission fee
  • admission charge
  • admission price
  • admission letter
  • admission requirements
  • admission rate
  • admissions office
  • hospital admission
  • university admission

Adverbs

Phrases

  • free admission
  • by his/her own admission
  • no admission without…
  • gain admission to
  • refuse admission to
  • on admission

Prepositions

  • admission to
  • admission of
  • admission into
  • by admission

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Admission entered English in the 15th century from Latin 'admissionem', formed from 'ad-' (meaning 'to' or 'towards') plus 'mittere' (meaning 'to send'). The literal idea was 'a sending towards' — letting something in. Early English use focused on letting people enter buildings or organisations, and the senses about hospitals and schools grew from there. The 'confessing' meaning developed later, from the related sense of 'allowing a statement to stand as true', and is now one of the most common everyday uses.