What does admitted mean?
"Admitted" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "admit," carrying two principal meanings: to acknowledge or confess that something is true, and to allow entry into a place, group, or institution. A witness may admit an error under questioning, while a university admits new students each autumn. Used as an adjective, "admitted" describes something universally accepted as true — an admitted fact — or someone who has openly owned up to a shortcoming, as in "an admitted gambler." The word often implies reluctance: people admit what they would rather deny, which lends it a tone of concession or candor. It derives from Latin "admittere," meaning "to send toward" or "to let in," a root it shares with words like "transmit" and "permit." Common collocations include "admitted defeat," "admitted to hospital," and "openly admitted." Its adverbial cousin, "admittedly," gracefully concedes a point in argument, making the word family indispensable for honest, nuanced expression.
Past tense and past participle of "admit": acknowledged or confessed that something is true, or granted someone entry into a place or organization.
"She admitted she had been wrong about the deadline."
Often followed by a that-clause or a gerund: "admitted taking the money."
Generally accepted or recognized as true; also describing someone who has openly confessed to a particular fault or identity.
"It is an admitted fact that the bridge needs urgent repairs."
Frequently used attributively in phrases like "an admitted liar" or "a self-admitted workaholic."
Every time you say "admitted," you're speaking Latin — the word literally means "sent toward," as if your confession is being delivered straight to the truth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of admitted
"Admitted" comes from Latin "admittere," formed from "ad-" (toward) and "mittere" (to send or let go), originally meaning to allow entrance or let something in. English adopted the verb "admit" via Old French in the late Middle Ages, with both the physical sense of letting in and the figurative sense of acknowledging truth developing early. The same Latin root "mittere" gives us a large family of cognates including "transmit," "permit," "submit," and "mission," all built around the idea of sending.
Related word forms
How admitted is actually used
"Admitted" in the confessional sense often carries a tone of reluctance or concession — one admits what one would prefer to conceal. In British English, "admitted to hospital" is standard, while American English typically says "admitted to the hospital." The adjectival use, as in "an admitted thief," is somewhat formal and frequently appears in journalism.
Easily confused with admitted
"Committed" means carried out or pledged to a course of action, while "admitted" means acknowledged or confessed; they rhyme but differ entirely in meaning.