admit

views updated May 23 2018

ad·mit / ədˈmit/ • v. (-mit·ted, -mit·ting) 1. [tr.] confess to be true or to be the case, typically with reluctance: the office admitted that several prisoners had been injured. ∎  [tr.] confess to (a crime or fault, or one's responsibility for it): he was sentenced to prison after admitting 47 charges of burglary | [intr.] he had admitted to a history of sexual misconduct. ∎  acknowledge (a failure or fault): after searching for an hour, she finally had to admit defeat | [intr.] he admits to having lied. 2. [tr.] allow (someone) to enter a place: senior citizens are admitted free. ∎  (of a ticket) give (someone) the right to enter a place: the voucher admits up to four people to the park. ∎  carry out the procedures necessary for (someone) to be received into a hospital for treatment: she was admitted to the hospital suffering from a chest infection. ∎  allow (a person, country, or organization) to join an organization or group. ∎  allow (someone) to share in a privilege: only a chosen few were admitted to the covenant. ∎  [tr.] accept as valid: the courts can refuse to admit police evidence which has been illegally obtained.3. [intr.] (admit of) allow the possibility of: the need to inform him was too urgent to admit of further delay.

admit

views updated May 14 2018

admit let in XIV; allow the truth of XV. — L. admittere, f. AD- + mittere send (see MISSION).
Hence admittance XVI. So admission XV. — L. admissiō, -ōn-, f. admiss-, pp. stem of admittere. So admissible XVII. F. — medL.