admission

[ad-mish-uhn]

noun

1. the act of allowing to enter; entrance granted by permission, by provision or existence of pecuniary means, or by the removal of obstacles.

   the admission of foreign aid workers into the zone of active conflict.

2. right or permission to enter.

   granting admission to the rare books room.

   Synonyms: access

3. the price paid for entrance, as to a theater or ball park.

4. an act or condition of being received or accepted in a position, profession, occupation, or office; appointment.

   admission to the bar.

5. confession of a charge, an error, or a crime; acknowledgment.

   His admission of the theft solved the mystery.

6. an acknowledgment of the truth of something.

7. a point or statement admitted; concession.

admission

/ ədˈmɪʃən /

noun

1. permission to enter or the right, authority, etc, to enter

2. the price charged for entrance

3. acceptance for a position, office, etc

4. a confession, as of a crime, mistake, etc

5. an acknowledgment of the truth or validity of something

Other Word Forms

• admissive adjective
• nonadmission noun
• proadmission adjective
• readmission noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of admission¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French and Latin admissiōn- (stem of admissiō ), equivalent to admiss-, past participial stem of the verb admittere admit + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of admission¹

C15: from Latin admissiōn-, from admittere to _admit

Synonym Study

See entrance ¹.

Example Sentences

It might feel natural to apologise, even if it's not your fault, but saying "I'm sorry" can sometimes be taken as an admission of guilt.

From BBC

Constipation can be treated in the community and should not require a hospital admission, but is not being recognised, Ms Cheer added.

From BBC

He was not offered pain relief, basic examinations were not carried out, and he was transferred to an acute admissions unit instead of intensive care, where he died hours later.

From BBC

However, it was an admission from ministers that the current situation needed to be urgently addressed.

From BBC

It was a tacit admission that despite campaigning on a platform of "change" before the general election, there is plenty of evidence that plenty of folk think there has been nowhere near enough of it.

From BBC

Related Words

• accession 
• admittance 
• assertion 
• concession 
• confirmation 
• disclosure 
• revelation 
• statement 
• testimony 

When To Use

What is an admission?

An admission is entrance by permission or the removal of obstacles to entry, as in The admission of girls into the science program has been a long time coming.Admission is also a right or permission to enter, as in Only employees have admission to the backstage area.Admission can also be the price paid in order to enter, as at a sports or theater event.An admission can also be a confession or acknowledgement of the truth, as when you admit that you were the one who broke your mother’s favorite dish.Example: Just the first act of the play was worth the price of admission.