Confident or confident means self-assured; having a strong belief in one's abilities or the outcome of a course of action--
He was confident that he would pass the test.
He is socially confident, and enjoys meeting new people.
Confidant or confidant ( sometimes spelled confidante when used to mean a female ) is a friend to whom one would tell one's secrets--
Her sister was a close friend and confidant, always ready to listen.
She trusted her confidant with all of her secrets.
Now that you know that, you can say--
"He was quite confident that his confidant was trustworthy."
Note--"confidence" may mean the feeling of being self-assured or sure of an outcome--
His employer had confidence in the young man's abilities.
"Confidence" also means a secret, or a relationship of trust--
He took his associate into his confidence.
She would never betray a confidence.
Note # 2--a "confidence man" is a con artist--someone who perpetrates fraud or financial schemes on individuals by gaining their trust--
When he told the woman he had found some money, she knew that he was a confidence man.
Not to be confused with a "confidente", an old-fashioned type of settee or sofa. The plural ( more than one ) is "confidentes"--
They bid on two old confidentes at the antique auction.
"Confidants" or "confidantes" would be the plural form of "confidant" or "confidante"--
They were lifelong confidants.
Words that sound the same when we speak may actually be two different words--which matters when we write them down. Spellcheck cannot help with this--it will show each word and the writer has to choose--to disambiguate them, if you will. I intend to update this daily, with another set of words it is possible to confuse, beginning with the simplest and most important. Questions and comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label confidante. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confidante. Show all posts
Thursday, June 14, 2012
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