admission

American  

[ad-mish-uhn] / ædˈmɪʃ ən /

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.

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admission British  

/ 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

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Usage

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.

Related Words

See entrance ¹.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of admission

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

Explanation

If you pay admission, you're paying a fee in order to attend something, like an event or a movie. After you pay admission to the movie theater, you head straight to the popcorn stand. The noun admission stems from the Latin word admissionem, meaning "a letting in." It often refers to a fee charged for entry, but it can also describe the process of being granted entry. The university's admission of the new student was welcome news — now he has access to the school's research facilities. An admission can also be a confession that something is true, such as your brother's surly admission that he was the one who popped your bike tire.

Example Sentences

Frailer schools try to compete by lowering admission standards and giving large discounts on tuition, which generally carries a sticker price on par with big-name universities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Nursing homes, by the industry’s own admission, are understaffed and face increasing challenges.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Despite her disturbing admission, Ford apparently let the matter go, and he spent the next year and a half pursuing other suspects.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

During proceedings in September, representatives for Joell-Deshields said his agreement to comply with any court order regarding the return of company property was not an admission of guilt.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Brother Harry paid the fifty-cent admission for each of them.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

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