1 [reporting verb] confess to be true or to be the case: [with clause]:the Home Office finally admitted that several prisoners had been injured [with direct speech]:‘I am feeling pretty tired,’ Jane admitted
[with object] confess to (a crime or fault, or one’s responsibility for it):he was sentenced to prison after admitting 47 charges of burglary [no object]:the paramilitaries admitted to the illegal possession of arms
[with object] acknowledge (a failure or fault):after searching for an hour, she finally had to admit defeat
2 [with object] (usually admit to) allow (someone) to enter a place:old-age pensioners are admitted free to the museum
receive (a patient) into a hospital for treatment:she was admitted to hospital suffering from a chest infection
allow (a person, country, etc.) to join an organization:Canada was admitted to the League of Nations
allow (someone) to share in a privilege:he was admitted to the freedom of the city in 1583
3 [with object] accept as valid:the courts can refuse to admit police evidence which has been illegally obtained
4 [no object] (admit of) allow the possibility of:the need to inform him was too urgent to admit of further delay
