admit

admit — verb

1. to say out loud that a fact is real, even when you would rather not — for exampl

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to say out loud that a fact is real, even when you would rather not — for example, that you made a mistake, that you feel jealous, or that someone else's idea is better than yours.

Example

Yael finally admitted that he had broken his sister's bicycle.

admit + that-clause for confessing a fact

Wren hates admitting she is wrong, even when the proof is on the table.

admit + -ing form (dropping that)

Common collocations
  • admit defeat
  • admit a mistake
  • freely admit
  • openly admit
  • reluctantly admit
Synonyms
  • concede

    more formal; often used in debates or arguments

  • confess

    stronger; suggests guilt or a secret being revealed

  • acknowledge

    neutral; recognising a fact without the reluctance 'admit' implies

Antonyms
  • deny

    to say something is not true

Grammar Patterns

admit + that-clause

admit + -ing

admit + to + -ing

admit to + noun

Usage Note

Often signals reluctance — the speaker wishes the fact were different. The that-clause pattern is frequent in writing; the simpler 'I admit, ...' aside is common in speech.

Common Mistakes

She admitted me that she was tired.
She admitted to me that she was tired.
when you name the listener, use 'admit to someone'.
He admitted to break the window.
He admitted breaking the window.
after 'admit to', use the -ing form, not the bare infinitive.

2. to recognise that you cannot win or finish something and to stop trying any furt

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to recognise that you cannot win or finish something and to stop trying any further.

Example

After three hours stuck on the puzzle, Daniel admitted defeat and asked his daughter for help.

fixed expression: admit defeat

The opposition leader admitted defeat once the final district reported its results.

political context: conceding an election

Common collocations
  • admit defeat
  • finally admit defeat
  • refuse to admit defeat
Synonyms
  • concede

    in contests, to formally accept the other side has won

  • give up

    more general; can mean stop trying for any reason

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

admit defeat

Usage Note

Almost always appears as 'admit defeat'. Distinguish from sense 1: here you are not just saying a fact is true, you are giving up the attempt itself.

Common Mistakes

I admitted to defeat in the chess game.
I admitted defeat in the chess game.
no 'to' in this fixed phrase.

3. to let a person or thing come into a place, especially when permission, a ticket

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to let a person or thing come into a place, especially when permission, a ticket, or a key is needed.

Example

Only guests with a printed invitation will be admitted to the wedding garden.

passive: be admitted to [place]

The guard refused to admit anyone who was not wearing a staff badge.

refuse to admit + object

Common collocations
  • admit to a building
  • admit into the room
  • be admitted free
Synonyms
  • let in

    more everyday; same idea in plain language

  • permit

    formal; focuses on giving official permission

Antonyms
  • exclude

    to keep out

  • bar

    to formally block someone from entering

Grammar Patterns

admit + object + into/to

Usage Note

Frequently passive in signs, rules, and reports ('not admitted', 'will be admitted'). The subject can be a person (a guard) or a thing (a window, a door).

Common Mistakes

The teacher admitted us in the classroom.
The teacher admitted us into the classroom.
use 'into' or 'to' for the destination.

4. to formally accept someone or a country as a new member of a school, club, or la

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to formally accept someone or a country as a new member of a school, club, or larger body such as the United Nations.

Example

Sofia was admitted to the National University of Singapore on a full scholarship.

passive: be admitted to [institution]

The chess club only admits players who have won at least one regional tournament.

active: subject is the body doing the accepting

Common collocations
  • admit to university
  • admit as a member
  • admit into the club
Synonyms
  • accept

    more common; same idea but less formal

  • enrol

    from the student's side: putting your name on the list

Antonyms
  • reject

    to refuse a candidate

  • expel

    to remove an existing member

Grammar Patterns

admit + object + to/into [group]

Usage Note

Subject is usually an institution, club, or international body. Almost always passive when the focus is on the new member rather than the institution.

Common Mistakes

He was admitted in Harvard last year.
He was admitted to Harvard last year.
use 'to' (or 'into'), not 'in'.

5. to take a sick or injured person into a hospital so that doctors can look after

5.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to take a sick or injured person into a hospital so that doctors can look after them and they can stay overnight.

Example

Grandma was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital with a broken hip on Sunday night.

passive: be admitted to + hospital + with + condition

The doctor decided to admit the boy for further tests on his lungs.

active: doctor as subject + 'for' + reason

Common collocations
  • admit to hospital
  • be admitted with [condition]
  • admit overnight
Synonyms
  • hospitalise

    single verb meaning the same thing; slightly more formal

Antonyms
  • discharge

    to send a patient home from hospital

Grammar Patterns

admit + object + to [hospital]

be admitted with [condition]

Usage Note

Frequently passive. The pattern 'be admitted with [condition]' is standard medical English. Distinguish from sense 3: here entry is for medical care and usually involves staying overnight.

Common Mistakes

She was admitted in the hospital with chest pain.
She was admitted to the hospital with chest pain.
use 'to' with hospital admissions.
Phrasal verbs

admit of

phrasal verb

This phrase means that a situation or thing allows a particular possibility or explanation.

The evidence admits of only one conclusion: he is guilty.

Does the schedule admit of any changes before the deadline?

admit — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs cover the act of stating that something is true, but they differ in what pushes the speaker into saying it. 'Admit' suggests reluctance — you say it because the facts leave you no choice, often a small fault or weakness ('I admit I was jealous'). 'Confess' is heavier and more personal: you reveal a guilty secret, a crime, or a deep feeling, often to a priest, friend, or police officer. 'Concede' belongs to debates, contests, and negotiations: you grant a point to the other side ('she conceded the argument'). 'Acknowledge' is the most neutral — you simply recognise a fact, with no shame attached, as in 'the report acknowledges the risks'. So a politician might acknowledge a problem, concede a debate, admit an error, and confess to an affair — four very different scenes.

admit ↗confess ↗concede ↗acknowledge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • I have to admit
  • I must admit
  • be forced to admit
  • refuse to admit

Prepositions

  • admit to
  • admit into

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Latin 'admittere', built from 'ad-' (meaning 'to' or 'towards') and 'mittere' (meaning 'to send' or 'let go'). So the original idea was 'to send someone towards a place' — that is, to let them in. English borrowed the word in the late 1300s through Old French, first for the 'let enter' meaning. The 'agree something is true' sense grew naturally later: you let an idea, like a person, through your defences.