Confidant vs. Confident: What's the Difference?
The words confidant and confident are homophones—they sound the same but have different meanings and uses. A confidant refers to a person who is trusted with secrets or private matters. Conversely, confident describes the feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of one's abilities or qualities.
How do you use the word confidant in a sentence?
Use the word confidant when you want to refer to someone who is entrusted with personal information and expected to keep it private. It typically indicates a relationship based on trust and discretion, often used to relate to the closest circle of friends or advisors.
Examples of confidant in a sentence
- She considered her sister to be her closest confidant.
- During difficult times, he turned to his mentor as a trusted confidant.
- The CEO often relied on her assistant as a confidant for sensitive company matters.
How do you use the word confident in a sentence?
The word confident is used to describe either a sureness about handling something, such as a task or social situation, or a certainty of opinion. Expressing confidence can relate to one's own abilities or the belief in someone else's capabilities.
Examples of confident in a sentence
- He was confident that the team would win the championship.
- After months of practice, she felt confident in her piano playing abilities.
- The lawyer's confident attitude reassured her client before the trial.
Confidant and confident definition, parts of speech, and pronunciation
Confidant definition:
A confidant is a noun that refers to a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others.
Confidant parts of speech:
Confidant pronunciation:
The word confidant is pronounced as /ˈkɒnfɪdænt/.
Confident definition:
Confident is an adjective meaning having a feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.
Confident parts of speech:
Confident pronunciation:
The word confident is pronounced as /ˈkɒnfɪdənt/.
A confidant is a noun that refers to a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others.
Confidant parts of speech:
- Noun: His brother became his confidant after years of building trust.
Confidant pronunciation:
The word confidant is pronounced as /ˈkɒnfɪdænt/.
Confident definition:
Confident is an adjective meaning having a feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.
Confident parts of speech:
- Adjective: She was confident about her decision to move abroad.
Confident pronunciation:
The word confident is pronounced as /ˈkɒnfɪdənt/.
Confidant vs. Confident in a nutshell
While confidant and confident sound alike, their meanings are distinct. A confidant is someone you trust with your secrets, serving a noun in the English language. In contrast, confident describes an attitude of self-assurance or belief in someone or something, functioning as an adjective. Remember to use confidant when speaking about trust and discreet relationships and confident when describing certainty and self-reliance.
Get AI Writing Assistance Wherever You Type
Make sure your vocabulary is on point and every punctuation mark is in the right place, no matter where you’re working. Grammarly works across more than 500,000 websites and apps so you can improve your writing without copying, pasting, or breaking focused.
More Commonly Confused Words
Interest piqued? Pore (not pour) over other commonly confused words to help your writing reach peak (not peek) performance.