- admit
- verb admitted, admitting (T)
1 to accept and agree unwillingly that something is true or that someone else is right: `I was really scared,' Jenny admitted. | admit (that): You may not like her, but you have to admit that she's good at her job. | I must admit spoken (=when you are admitting something you are embarrassed about): I must admit I didn't actually do anything to help her. | come on, admit it! spoken (=used to try to make someone admit something): Come on, admit it! You were out with Keith last night? | freely/openly admit (=admit without being ashamed): Phillips openly admits to being selfish.2 also admit to to say that you have done something wrong, especially something criminal; confess (1): admit (to) doing sth: A quarter of all workers admit to taking time off when they are not ill. | admit (to) sth: After questioning he admitted to the murder.3 to allow someone or something to enter a public place to watch a game, performance etc: admit sb to/into: Only ticket-holders will be admitted into the stadium.4 to allow someone to join an organization, club etc: admit sb to/into: The UK was admitted to the EEC in 1973.5 be admitted to hospital BrE to the hospital AmE to be taken to a hospital because you are ill: He was admitted to the hospital Tuesday morning with stomach pains.6 admit defeat to stop trying to do something because you realise you cannot succeed: Sean kept running, refusing to admit defeat.7 an admitted alcoholic/atheist etc someone who has admitted that they are an alcoholic, etcadmit of sth phrasal verb (T) formal if a situation admits of a particular explanation, that explanation can be accepted as possible: The facts admit of no other explanation.
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.