Admit vs Confess? How to Use Each in a Sentence

If you want to say something to somebody, say it. But are you “admitting”, or is that some form of a “confession”? “Admit” and “confess” mean the same thing, don’t they?

“Confess” denotes “acceptance or responsibility of guilt”. “Admit” also means the same thing. However, “confess” entails a sense of “revelation”, which “admit” usually does not. “Admit” reveals information that the listener may already be having a hint of. “Confess” has religious connotations too.

The term “confess” can be used as the synonym of “admit” and vice versa. However, such usage may not always be right. To learn how to use the two verbs in your texts correctly or to get an understanding of the thin line that differentiates the two, keep reading.

“Admit” – Definition

The term “admit” generally means “to permit entry” into an establishment, which could be an educational institution, hospital, movie theater, etc.

Besides physically allowing entry into a place, “admit” could also denote “allowing the likelihood of something”, “conceding to a fact”, etc. It’s quite similar in meaning to “acknowledge” as “admit” implies “the disclosure of a thing that could be or is concealed”.

A few other words synonymous with or similar to “admit” in meaning include “grant”, “introduce”, “concede”, “accept”, etc.

Using the word “admit” to denote “affording possibility” is not common but correct. “Admit” could also mean “allowing scope for”.

“Confess” – Definition

The word “confess” means “acknowledging the responsibility of guilt” or “accepting a mistake”, usually a grave one. Sins are generally “confessed”. Also, weaknesses, crimes, faults, etc., get confessed. “Confessing” or “to confess” could also mean “giving evidence of”.

People usually “confess” out of external pressure – for instance, during a police interrogation. However, confessions can also be out of one’s volition – a parent venting out their frustration on not raising their kids or treating them well to a family member or friend without the other person asking for it is confession without any exogenous force.

Some of the words close to “confess” in meaning or related to the term include “profess”, “divulge”, “attest”, “avow”, etc.

Using the Term “Admit” in Writings

The word “admit” is used when allowing people into a movie theater, letting a patient inside the operation room, etc. Doorways “admit” people into a room. If a physical space can accommodate a maximum of 100 people, that space apparently “admits” 100 people at once.

Here are a few sentences that employ “admit” in the “physical” sense of the word:

• The open window admitted rain.
• He was admitted to the elite group.
• She was admitted to the hospital last night for minor burns.

As mentioned above, “admit” doesn’t only mean “allowing physical entry to something”. The term could also be used in relation to intangible things. For example:

• The experts freely admitted they were not entirely sure of the recommendations they made.
• The fact that they are openly admitting to not knowing where to invest most of their earnings is not encouraging.

As explained above, “to admit” is acknowledging things the other person may know or have some hint of. For example:

• She admitted she knew nothing about computers.

In the above context, the other person may have got a sense of the lady having zero computer proficiency. That may have become evident seeing how she was handling computers before her honest admission.

“Admit” can be used to denote “possibility”, as mentioned above. For example:

• The issue admits of zero solution.
• It admits no likelihood of misunderstanding.
• The law admits no exemptions.
• The plan doesn’t admit of any improvement.

Not to mention, “admit” could also be used to mean things metaphorically.

Substituting “Admit” and “Acknowledge”

In the sentence, “She admitted she knew nothing about computers”, “admitted” could be substituted with “acknowledged”.

Here are a few sentences where “acknowledge” can be replaced with “admit”:

• They acknowledged the need for reform.
• She acknowledged the information to be correct.
• He did not acknowledge his defeat.

However, “acknowledge” is not always the perfect synonym of the term, or the two are not always interchangeable. For example:

• She acknowledged receipt of the letter.
• He acknowledged his help.
• She did not acknowledge my presence despite me standing right beside her.

“Admitted” cannot be used in any of the sentences above.

Using the Word “Confess” in Texts

The term “confess” is typically used in contexts where the “guilt” factor is riding high. For example:

• She confessed her guilt.
• John confessed to his sins a few days before his untimely death.
• You must confess your mistakes.

Unlike “admit”, “confess” is not used concerning something positive or has nothing to do with wrongdoings. But there are exceptions to that rule. For example:

• He confessed his love for her.

Using “confess” positively or in a more neutral light is not common.

Are “Confess” and “Profess” Different?

Like “admit” and “confess”, the difference between “confess” and “profess” is not significant, but there certainly is a minor discrepancy.

“Profess” denotes “elucidating views”. It mostly doesn’t mean “admitting” or “coming out” as “confess” implies. In other words, “profess” is unlikely to be used to express thoughts or emotions that were previously withheld.

Also, “profess” has either a positive or neutral tone. It has no negative connotations as “confess”. Therefore, you’ll pretty much never come across texts or phrasings such as “professing to murder”, “professing their sins”, etc.

Comparing “Admit” and “Confess”

As the discussions above would have illustrated, “admit” and “confess” are quite similar in meanings. When you “confess” to something, you “admit” that it happened, or vice versa.

However, the severity of the mistake that the two signify could vary. In other words, “admit” could be used in texts to denote superficial or less severe things. However, when using “confess”, it has to be more rooted or a revelation that probably has been kept a secret all along.

The transgressions that get “confessed” are usually a lot more serious in nature or inch a lot closer to “sinful” behavior, such as adultery, secretive use of illegal drugs, etc.

The mistakes “admitted” can be silly errors that may not impact things or people around as much as those that get “confessed”. For example, when your parents come to know about your poor performance in your exams, you “confess” to have never studied for the exam. You do not “admit”.

People “admit” to things that the other person seeking the information already knows about or has some idea of. In other words, the other individual requires validation.

When it comes to a “confession”, the other guy has no clue whatsoever and is invariably taken aback by the information revealed. A husband confessing to having slept with multiple women outside of his marriage to his unsuspecting wife will be a revelation or a shocking disclosure to the woman.

Not to mention, there are religious connotations to “confessing”. For instance, Catholics go to the church and “confess” to the priest and not “admit” or “profess” their sins.

Example Sentences with the Word “Admit”

The following are sentences that use “admit” correctly. Some or most of them could also use “confess”.

• The entire series of events has caused more chaos than she would likely admit.
• The CEO admitted the rival company’s software product was superior to theirs.
• She admitted she should not have talked to Mark the way she did the other night.
• The law does pretty much nothing in alleviating the existing situation, and everyone should admit that.
• I admit I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said that.
• The organization agreed to the settlement but admitted zero wrongdoing.
• She admitted to having made the mistakes.
• Non-members will not be admitted into the building.
• The gates admit onto the garden.
• Let’s vote on whether new members should be admitted into the club.
• The theater can admit up to 500 people.
• You are wrong! Admit it!
• No one under the age of 18 was admitted into the bar.
• The document was admitted as evidence.
• She hesitantly admitted to knowing him.
• The school admits 150 new students each academic year.

Example Sentences with the Term “Confess”

As mentioned above, “confess” is mostly used in texts or contexts that entails a significant crime or exposé. However, there could be instances where the verb may not be used in bleak scenarios after all. A few of the sentences below may demonstrate that.

• I confess my sins.
• She confessed to the homicide.
• He confessed to his crime after several hours of interrogation.
• He couldn’t muster the courage to confess.
• I must confess I didn’t read the book.
• He confessed to the cops that he stole the patient’s phone.
• “I want to learn to play the guitar and not the piano”, she confessed.
• I confess I had no idea about her being gay.
• During the incarceration, the men were shamed and compelled to confess in front of the massive gathering.
• She confessed her weakness for sweets.
• The prisoner was not going to confess.
• He wanted to confess his sins.
• I found it too confusing, I confess.
• The rape victims confessed their feelings of helplessness.
• I was expecting him to confess he wrote those books purely for money.
• I confess that with shame.

Conclusion

As stated and illustrated multiple times above, there is a thin line between “admit” and “confess”. More than knowing the meanings of the two words, which are quite similar to begin with, try to understand the context in which the two verbs are generally used. Getting that part right is key to not using them interchangeably when you shouldn’t be.