ENGLISH
REFERENCE

admitted

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ədˈmɪtɪd// UK //ɐdmˈɪtɪd// ad·mit·ted

v. to agree that something is true, especially when you did not want to say it at first. It often involves owning up to a mistake or a secret.

v. to acknowledge the truth or existence of something, often reluctantly or under pressure. Transitive — frequently takes a 'that' clause or a gerund as its object.


SIMPLE

He finally admitted that he was wrong.

CONTEXTUAL

After hours of questioning, the suspect admitted to being at the scene of the crime on the night in question.

COMPLEX

While the CEO admitted the company had faced significant setbacks, she remained optimistic that the new product line would restore their market share by the end of the fiscal year.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and can be followed by a 'that' clause, a gerund, or the preposition 'to' followed by a noun or gerund.

Pitfall

He admitted to steal the moneyHe admitted to stealing the moneyWhen 'admit to' is used, it must be followed by a gerund (-ing form) or a noun, not the base form of the verb.

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