confidant

noun

con·​fi·​dant ˈkän-fə-ˌdänt 

 also  -ˌdant,

-dənt

: one to whom secrets are entrusted

especially : intimate

He is a trusted confidant of the president.

Did you know?

If you're confident of the trustworthiness of your confidants, you're tuned into the origins of the word confidant. The word comes, via French, from the Italian confidente, meaning "trusting, having trust in," from Latin confīdere, meaning "to put one’s trust in, have confidence in.” Other descendants of confīdere in English include confide, confidence, confident, and confidential, all of which ultimately have Latin fīdere, meaning "to trust (in), rely (on)," as their root. Confidant (and its variant confidante, used especially of a woman) and confident are often confused, a topic about which we have plenty to say.

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

• alter ego
• amigo
• buddy
• chum
• compadre
• comrade
• confidante
• crony
• familiar
• friend
• intimate
• mate [chiefly British]
• musketeer
• pal

Examples of confidant in a Sentence

He is a trusted confidant of the president.

she's my confidant; I tell her everything without reservation

Recent Examples on the Web

According to a source familiar with the meeting, Frank Carone, Adams’ ex-chief of staff and longtime political confidant, joined the mayor for the sit-down with Trump. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025

In this way, the child often takes on the role of a confidant, mentor, or mediator within their household. —Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025

At the center of this unfolding drama was Dr. Cary Grayson, Wilson’s White House physician and confidant. —Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

Any decision on the location will likely filter through not only Biden and the first lady, but also through layers of family and confidants in between. —Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French confident, borrowed from Italian confidente, noun derivative of confidente "trusting, having trust in," borrowed from Latin confīdent-, confīdens, present participle of confīdere "to put one's trust in, have confidence in" — more at confide

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

confidant

noun

con·​fi·​dant ˈkän-fə-ˌdant 

-ˌdänt

: a person to whom secrets are entrusted : a close friend