Some English words look very much a like but are very different in terms of meaning and use. This is true with the terms confidant and confident. Although these two words are only separated bu a single letter in their spellings, they are miles apart in terms of definition and function. This post will help you determine their differences to help you avoid confusion and use them properly in your writing.
The word confidant is generally used as a noun referring to “a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others.”
Jewish Trump Confidant: US President Has Convinced Abbas to Make Concessions
Jerusalem Post Israel NewsFrom Kejriwal’s Confidant to ‘BJP Stooge’: Kapil Mishra’s Journey in AAP
News18Sean Hannity Lashes Out at ‘New York Times’ Over Trump Confidant Story
Hollywood Reporter
Additionally, some writers make the distinction of using the term confidante, with an extra “e” at the end, to refer to female confidants.
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New York TimesHunt for married policeman who revealed fake suicide to confidante
The TimesWhen Adolf Hitler confidante Unity Mitford came to stay
BBC News
On the other hand, the word confident functions as an adjective meaning “feeling or showing confidence in oneself,” “self-assured,” or “full of conviction.”
Australia coach Darren Lehmann confident Ashes strike will not go ahead
The GuardianPhil Jackson Says Knicks Are Good at What They Do, Confident in No. 8 Draft Pick
Bleacher ReportHere’s one area where women are more confident with their money than men
MarketWatch
One technique you can use to determine which word to use is to remember that if you believe in yourself, then you must be confident but if you put your trust on another person, then he is your confidant. Hopefully, this post will help you avoid confusion between these terms in the future.