Meaning & use
admit
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To say that something is true, usually something unwelcome or embarrassing, after first holding back.
Grammar: Can take an object or a that clause, or be followed by to plus an -ing form: admit the mistake, admit to lying.
Patterns
- admit something
- admit that something is true
- admit to doing something
I admit that I forgot to call you back.
She finally admitted to taking the last biscuit.
He refused to admit his mistake.
verbtransitive
To let someone come into a place or become a member of a group, school or hospital.
Grammar: Takes a person as the object and often to or into: the college admitted her to the course.
Patterns
- admit someone to something
- admit someone into something
The club admits new members every spring.
The hospital admitted him for tests.
Children under twelve are not admitted without an adult.
verbintransitiveformal
To leave room for something to be considered or to happen.
Grammar: Used with of in formal writing: the rule admits of no exception.
Patterns
- admit of something
The evidence admits of only one explanation.
The plan admits of no delay.
The problem admits of several possible solutions.
Word forms
| third person singular | admits |
|---|---|
| past tense | admitted |
| past participle | admitted |
| -ing form | admitting |
Common combinations
- admit defeat
- After three hours of trying, he admitted defeat.
- freely admit
- I freely admit that I was wrong.
- admit responsibility
- The company admitted responsibility for the delay.
- admit to a hospital
- She was admitted to hospital late at night.
- reluctantly admit
- He reluctantly admitted that she was right.
- admit entry
- This ticket admits entry to all exhibits.
Synonyms and how they differ
- confess
- Confess suggests owning up to something wrong or shameful, while admit can be milder and cover simple facts.
- concede
- Concede means to grant that a point or argument is right, often in a discussion or contest.
- acknowledge
- Acknowledge is a neutral way to accept that something exists or is true and does not suggest reluctance.
- allow in
- Allow in is the everyday phrase for letting someone enter, where admit sounds more official.
Opposites
Word family
- admission noun
- the act of admitting, or a statement that something is true
- admittance noun
- permission to enter a place
- admittedly adverb
- used to accept that something is true
- admissible adjective
- acceptable, especially as evidence
- inadmissible adjective
- not allowed to be accepted
Commonly confused: admit or permit?
admit vs permit
Permit means to allow something to happen; admit means to let someone in or to confess.
Practice
He finally admitted ___ the window with a football.
Choose one answer.
Admit is followed by an -ing form, or to plus -ing. Admitted breaking is correct. To break and that break are not possible with admit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “admit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.