confidant
KON-fih-dant
/ˈkɒn.fɪ.dænt/
A person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it.
In literature, a confidant allows characters to reveal internal thoughts without using soliloquies.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from French 'confidant', stemming from Latin 'confidere', meaning 'to trust fully'. The root 'fid' gives us words like 'fidelity' and 'faith'.
Word relationships
- advisor: 'Advisor' emphasizes practical guidance rather than emotional trust and secret-sharing.
- intimate: 'Intimate' denotes close emotional proximity but lacks the specific role of secret-keeper.
- stranger: A stranger is an unknown person with whom secrets are not shared.
Commonly confused with
- confident: 'Confidant' (noun) is a trusted person; 'confident' (adjective) means sure of oneself.
Word family
- confidante (noun): A female confidant (borrowed from French feminine form).
- confide (verb): To share a secret privately.
Collocations
- trusted confidant
- close confidant
- chief confidant
- intimate confidant
Example sentences
- "The hero relied on his trusted confidant to articulate his hidden fears and motivations." Dramatic Function
- "Throughout her turbulent presidency, her chief of staff remained her closest political confidant." Biography
Memory hook
CONFIDANT = Someone you CONfide in with full FIDE (faith). The keeper of your deepest secrets.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'confident' (adjective meaning self-assured).
Fun facts
- In French, 'confidante' ends with an 'e' when referring to a woman, a spelling tradition retained in traditional English typography.
Also appears in
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