confident

adjective

con·​fi·​dent ˈkän-fə-dənt 

-ˌdent

1

: full of conviction : certain

confident of success

confident that conditions will improve

2

: having or showing assurance and self-reliance

a confident young businessman

a confident manner

3

obsolete : trustful, confiding

confidently adverb

Did you know?

Is it confident or confidant? (Or is it confidante?)

If you find yourself unsure whether you should choose confident or confidant don’t feel bad; confidant comes to English from the French word confident, and when the word first entered our language it was often spelled that way, rather than as confidant. The difference is quite simple: confidant is a noun (meaning "a person in whom you confide things"), and confident is an adjective (defined as “having confidence”). You may well be confident in your confidant, but you would not be confidant in your confident. Although this distinction has not always been observed by writers, confidante is generally used for a female confidant. The word confidant is more frequently used to describe a man, but it may be applied to either gender.

Synonyms

• assured
• secure
• self-asserting
• self-assured
• self-confident

Examples of confident in a Sentence

I am confident about my ability to do the job.

The players seem more relaxed and confident this season.

He has become more confident in his Spanish-speaking skills.

They have a confident air about them.

We are confident that conditions will improve soon.

Recent Examples on the Web

But while these global companies appeared confident in their strategies, tariffs could significantly hinder smaller brands. —Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 10 Dec. 2024

In fact, a 2023 survey by College Pulse found that only 49% of college students feel confident about their career prospects. —Subha Barry, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Carty and his colleagues were confident that the AMI amputation would be safe, and that Ewing would be able to use a conventional prosthesis without trouble. —Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

However, Carolina felt confident enough to draft him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin confīdent-, confīdens "trusting in oneself, assured, presumptuous," from present participle of confīdere "to put trust in, have confidence in, be sure" — more at confide

First Known Use

circa 1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

confident

adjective

con·​fi·​dent ˈkän-fəd-ənt 

-fə-ˌdent

: having or showing confidence : sure, self-assured

confident of winning

a confident manner

confidently adverb