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confidante

noun

con·​fi·​dante ˈkän-fə-ˌdänt How to pronounce confidante (audio)
also -ˌdant
-dənt
Synonyms of confidantenext
: confidant
especially : one who is a woman

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.

Examples of confidante in a Sentence

She was her closest friend and confidante. only her closest confidantes know what she's going through
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The third chronicles Ah-jin’s downfall, which leads to the deaths of her closest confidantes, school friend Kim Jae-oh (Love Scout’s Kim Do-hoon) and ex-stepbrother Yun Jun-seo (Kim Young-dae). Kayti Burt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025 The four-member chat is populated by Peterson and three close confidantes, all of them vegan and always on standby for effusive commentary about the latest dog or cat who deserves a home. Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 3 Dec. 2025 Cameron was inspired by Dick Cavett’s TV interview show and by the razor-sharp writings of rock critic Bangs, who would soon become his mentor and confidante. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2025 She was not arrested for the murders until her girlfriend and closest confidante, Moore, urged her to confess. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confidante

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French confidente, feminine of confident confidant

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of confidante was in 1662

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Cite this Entry

“Confidante.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confidante. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

confidante

noun
con·​fi·​dante ˈkän-fə-ˌdant How to pronounce confidante (audio)
-ˌdänt
: confidant
especially : one who is a woman

More from Merriam-Webster on confidante

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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