Definition of “admit” - English Dictionary

American
Contents

“admit” in English

See all translations

admitverb

uk ​ /ədˈmɪt/ us ​ /ədˈmɪt/ -tt-

admit verb (ACCEPT)

B1 [ T or I ] to agree that something is true, especially unwillingly:

He admitted his guilt/mistake.
[ + (that) ] She admitted (that) she had made a mistake.
[ + -ing verb ] She admitted making a mistake.
At first he denied stealing the money but he later admitted (to) it.
I wasn't entirely honest with him, I admit.
[ + to infinitive ] The new law was generally admitted to be difficult to enforce.
admit defeat

› to accept that you have failed and give up:

After several attempts to untie the knot, I admitted defeat and cut through it with a knife.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

admit verb (ALLOW IN)

› [ T ] to allow someone to enter a place:

Each ticket admits one member and one guest.
Men will not be admitted to the restaurant without a tie.
literary A gap between the curtains admitted the faint glimmer of a street lamp.

› [ T ] to allow a person or country to join an organization:

Spain was admitted to the European Community in 1986.

› [ T ] to allow someone to enter a hospital because they need medical care:

UK She was admitted to hospital suffering from shock.
US She was admitted to the hospital suffering from shock.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Phrasal verb(s)

admit of sth

(Definition of “admit” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“admit” in American English

See all translations

admitverb

us ​ /ədˈmɪt, æd-/ -tt-

admit verb (ACCEPT)

› to recognize or accept something as true:

[ T ] He admitted his guilt.
[ + (that) clause ] She admitted (that) she had made a mistake.

admit verb (ALLOW IN)

› [ T ] to allow someone or something to enter:

Each ticket admits one member and a guest.
admittance
noun [ U ] us ​ /ədˈmɪt·əns, æd-/

›

He was refused admittance to the club.

(Definition of “admit” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“admit” in Business English

See all translations

admitverb

uk ​ /ədˈmɪt/ us ​ -tt-

› [ I or T ] to say that you have done something dishonest or have not succeeded in doing something:

"We need to do more to attract the younger end of the market," the Chairman admitted.
It can be difficult to admit mistakes in front of colleagues who may be competitors for the next promotion.
admit to sth Three suspects admitted to the fraud scheme during a series of interviews with federal agents.
admit (that) British Airways admitted last week that the credit market downturn was affecting business travel.
admit doing sth In court, she admitted receiving almost $1 million as "consulting fees".
admit guilt/failure/defeat The company received a discount on its fine because it admitted its guilt.
admit a charge/offence/allegation Several firms have been forced to admit charges of paying illegal bonuses to employees.
admit liability (for sth)

› LAW to admit that you are legally responsible for something that has harmed someone:

As part of the agreement, the chairman and his affiliates do not admit any liability or wrongdoing.

› to officially give permission for a person, company, or country to join a large organization:

admit sb to sth Over the next five years, several new countries will be admitted to the EU.

› to officially give permission for someone to attend a meeting or other event:

admit sb to sth Newspaper reporters will not be admitted to the hearing.
admit evidence

› LAW if a court of law admits evidence or admits something as evidence, it allows something to be used to decide whether someone is guilty of a crime:

Prosecutors asked the court to admit the recordings as evidence.

(Definition of “admit” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of “admit”
 
Need a translator?

Translator tool

Get a quick, free translation!

What is the pronunciation of admit?
Browse