Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One to whom secrets or private matters are disclosed.
  • noun A character in a drama or fiction, such as a trusted friend or servant, who serves as a device for revealing the inner thoughts or intentions of a main character.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A person intrusted with the confidence of another; one to whom secrets are confided; a confidential friend.
  • noun A part of a woman's coiffure usual in the seventeenth century; a small curl worn near the ear.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • One to whom secrets, especially those relating to affairs of love, are confided or intrusted; a confidential or bosom friend.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a person in whom one can confide or share one's secrets: a friend

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone to whom private matters are confided

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French confident, from Italian confidente, from Latin cōnfīdēns, cōnfīdent-, present participle of cōnfīdere, to rely on; see confide.]

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Examples

  • His closest advisor and confidant is his wife and thereby FAIR GAME! tired of the election

    Obama to GOP: 'Lay off my wife' 2008

  • For over a decade, Mubarak has not served alongside a vice president, but today, he appointed Omar Suleiman, the country's intelligence chief and a long term confidant of the president, to the post.

    ABC News: Top Stories 2011

  • In the wake of her latest heartbreak, Jennifer Aniston has again sought solace in her long-term confidant and former Friends costar Courteney Cox.

    WN.com - Articles related to  Djokovic on fire ahead of Finals 2009

  • But Robin Turner, the Vines's A&R man and long-term confidant at their UK label Heavenly, always thought his habit was a hindrance, not a help.

    The Trouble With Spikol 2008

  • In a sketch, the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank focuses on a top McCain confidant, Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief who is now one of the Republican’s most visible surrogates.

    The Early Word: Seeking the Hispanic Vote - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008

  • In a sketch, the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank focuses on a top McCain confidant, Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief who is now one of the Republican’s most visible surrogates.

    The Early Word: Seeking the Hispanic Vote - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008

  • But now, with quite a bit of fanfare, Rogers is planning to call the confidant of Speaker Nancy Pelosi out on the mat, or at least the House floor.

    CNN Transcript May 18, 2007 2007

  • A journal takes the place of a confidant, that is, of friend or wife; it becomes a substitute for production, a substitute for country and public.

    Amiel's Journal Henri Fr��d��ric Amiel 1885

  • Known as a confidant of Jobs, the soft-spoken Ive has led Apple's design team since 1996 and was among the few who survived brutal staff cuts Jobs made when he returned to Apple in late 1997.

    Reuters: Press Release 2011

  • Known as a confidant of Jobs, the soft-spoken Ive has led Apple's design team since 1996 and was among the few who survived brutal staff cuts Jobs made when he returned to Apple in late 1997.

    Reuters: Press Release 2011

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