Meaning & use
admitting
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“admitting” is a form of “admit”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Saying, often unwillingly, that something unwelcome or embarrassing is true.
Grammar: Takes an object or that-clause: admitting a mistake. With to it can stand alone: admitting to the theft.
Patterns
- admitting something
- admitting that something
- admitting to something
- admitting doing something
Admitting that he was wrong took real courage.
She felt better after admitting to the mistake.
He lost the game, though he avoided admitting how much it hurt.
verbtransitive
Letting someone enter a place or join a group, or accepting them officially.
Grammar: Takes a person as object, often with to or into: admitting students to the course.
Patterns
- admitting someone to something
- admitting someone into something
The hospital is admitting patients through the side entrance only.
The club has stopped admitting new members this year.
Admitting children under twelve is free at this museum.
Word forms
| base form | admit |
|---|---|
| third person singular | admits |
| past tense | admitted |
| past participle | admitted |
Common combinations
- admitting a mistake
- Admitting a mistake early saves a great deal of trouble.
- admitting defeat
- The captain was slow to consider admitting defeat.
- admitting to a crime
- Admitting to the crime earned him a lighter sentence.
- freely admitting
- Freely admitting her faults made her easier to trust.
- admitting patients
- The clinic is admitting patients from the early morning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- confessing
- Confessing is stronger and suggests guilt for something serious, while admitting can be for small things.
- acknowledging
- Acknowledging is more neutral and formal, with less sense of reluctance.
- conceding
- Conceding means accepting a point or defeat in an argument or contest, often after resistance.
- owning up
- Owning up is informal and usually refers to a fault or small wrongdoing.
Opposites
Word family
- admission noun
- a statement of truth, or permission to enter
- admittance noun
- the right or act of entering a place
- admittedly adverb
- used when you accept that something is true
- admissible adjective
- allowed, especially as evidence in court
Commonly confused: admitting or admiring?
admitting vs admiring
Admiring means feeling respect or liking for someone, which has nothing to do with confessing.
Practice
Choose the best word: 'Instead of ___ his mistake, he blamed the weather.'
Choose one answer.
Admitting a mistake means openly accepting it. Admiring, submitting and omitting look similar but do not give the intended meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “admitting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.