Difference Between Confidant and Confidante
Table of Contents
Main Difference
The main difference between confidant and confidante is that the word confidant is related to males, whereas the confidante is related to females.
Confidant vs. Confidante
The words confidant and confidante seem similar, but they are different in their meanings. In the parts of speech, both the words confidant and confidante fall into the category of nouns. The meaning of confidant is “a person with whom you disclose your secrets or private thoughts.” The word confidante is known as a female form of its counterpart confidant.
In a story, the confidant refers to a character that a protagonist trusts and confides in. This word confidant directs both male and female but mainly males. The alternative form of confidant that refers to a trustworthy female person has a little bit of different spelling “confidante.”
Furthermore, confidants can be such characters who command trust by their position. Doctors or such figures fall into this category. The other word confidante relates to the female form of confidant. According to some theories, a confidant is not a French word. It was an invention of English writers in the 18th century. The French equivalent for this word is confident, which common for females.
The words confidante and confidante have the same pronunciations. It means that they are homophones. A confidant is a person trustworthy, while confidante has another meaning too. It is a type of sofa with triangular seats at its ends. The words confidant and confidante have the pronunciations known as French pronunciations. These words are interchangeable. The word confidant is generally associated with men, whereas the word confidante is generally associated with women.
Comparison Chart
| Confidant | Confidante |
| A person with whom you disclose your secrets or private information | A female version of confidant |
| Parts of Speech | |
| Noun | Noun |
| Associated With | |
| Men | Women |
| Word | |
| English | French |
| Other Meanings | |
| A character in a story that a protagonist trusts and confides in | A type of sofa with triangular seats at its ends |
What is Confidant?
In the parts of speech, confidant falls into the category of noun. The meaning of confidant is “a person with whom you disclose your secrets or private thoughts.” In a story, the confidant refers to a character that a protagonist trusts and confides in. This word confidant directs both male and female but mainly males.
Confidants can be such characters who command trust under their position. Doctors or such figures fall into this category. There can be anonymous confidants who do not have any separate role in the narrative. According to some theories, a confidant is not a French word. It was an invention of English writers in the 18th century. The French equivalent for this word is confident, which common for females.
A confidant is a person trustworthy. It is the one with whom the confidential information such as secrets can be shared with no hesitation. The word confidant is generally associated with men, but this is not necessary in all cases. This word is also used with females as well. The origin of the word confidant is from the French “confident,” which relates to Latin “confidente.” It means “a trusted friend.” A confidant, with the alphabet ‘a,’ is the person you trust and do not hesitate to spill your guts with.
Confidant is easily confused with its homophones and similar words confident and confidante. So the trick to remember this word is through the alphabet “a” as its second-last letter. If one is confident, he believes in “me.” If one has a confidant, he puts his trust in another.
Examples
- I don’t easily trust any person; that is why it is difficult for me to find a confidant.
- “They want to find out whether he was a bin Laden confidante or not.” [Telegraph]
- The man on the road was arrested because he was proved to be the confidant of the criminal.
- “One of the trusted confidants of Prime Minister was sent to Pakistan for negotiations.”
- “Claypool later became a partner with David Axelrod. He is now a close political confidant of President Barack Obama.” [Chicago Tribune]
What is Confidante?
In the parts of speech, confidante falls into the category of noun. Confidante refers to “a person with whom you disclose your secrets or private thoughts.” The word confidante is largely known as the female version of its counterpart confidant. A confidante is an alternative form of confidant that refers to a trustworthy female person. Confidante is a French word and an equivalent of confidant.
Confidante has another meaning too. It is a type of sofa with triangular seats at its ends. It is designed so because the people could sit at the end of the sofas with being close to those sitting in the middle. Confidante has French pronunciation. It is generally associated with women, i.e., trustworthy female friends. However, this feminine associated use has fallen out of favor as “an unnecessary female version.” It is the same as with the word ‘authoress.’
Examples
- Her sister was her confidante. She never hesitates to tell her about the mistakes she made.
- “They were confidantes, close friends, inseparable companions as well.” (Frederick William Robinson)
- “Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the Argentine-Cuban revolutionary and close confidante of Fidel Castro, was no terrorist.” [New Yorker]
- I have two or three of my confidantes who are always by my side in every situation.
- My school time best friend is also my confidante as I can share my secrets with her.
Key Differences
Conclusion
Confidant and confidante are the same words with the same pronunciations and meaning, but a little bit of difference in their usage as a confidant is common with men, and confidante is common with women.
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