What does "confidence" mean?
Self-assurance.
Confidence
/ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Self-assurance.
- Grammar: confidence is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: assurance, trust, absolute certainty, acceptation.
- Useful contrasts: abashed, cautionary indicator, discouraged.
- Usage evidence: Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
How to use "confidence"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "confidence" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "confidence" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "confidence" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "confidence" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "confidence" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "assurance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "confidence", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Self-assurance. countable, uncountable
"He entered the ring with confidence."
- 2 freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities wordnet
- 3 A feeling of certainty; firm trust or belief; faith. countable, uncountable
"She had confidence it would soon end."
- 4 a secret that is confided or entrusted to another wordnet
- 5 Information held in secret; a piece of information shared but to thence be kept in secret. countable, uncountable
"In the course of these confidences it became quite plain to me I had been represented to the wife of the high dignitary, and goodness knows to how many more people besides, as an exceptional and gifted creature - a piece of good fortune for the Company - a man you don’t get hold of every day."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a feeling of trust (in someone or something) wordnet
- 7 Boldness; presumption. countable, dated, uncountable
- 8 a trustful relationship wordnet
- 9 a state of confident hopefulness that events will be favorable wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "confidence"?
Common synonyms include: assurance, trust, absolute certainty, acceptation, acception, acquiescence.
How do you use "confidence" in a sentence?
Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
How do you pronounce "confidence"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/.
Etymology
From Middle English confidence, from Latin cōnfīdentia (possibly via Old French confidence), from cōnfīdō (“believe, confide in”) from con- (“with”) + fīdō (“trust”). By surface analysis, confide + ence.