The important difference here is between confident, an adjective meaning “sure of oneself,” and confidant(e), a noun meaning “a person that one confides in.”
To confide, means “to tell a person private or secret things”; it implies trust. The word confide breaks down in to con-fide, which means “with trust” or “with faith”; you can see the stem -fide- in fidelity, which means “faithfulness.”
A confidant(e) is a person you trust with private information. The reason for the “e” is that the word is of French origin and therefore has a masculine version, confidant, and a feminine version, confidante. Obviously, there is no logical or meaningful difference, and you will find these terms used interchangeably; although in conventional or formal usage, you are more likely to see confidant used when referring to men, and confidante when referring to women. The context will leave little doubt about the referent, no matter the version of the word you see.
Confident, in contrast, uses the same stems but describes a person who feels sure of themselves (has faith in themselves) either in general, or in regards to a particular activity or idea:
She’s so confident, she never looks down!
I am confident that you will enjoy the show.
More Examples of How to Use "Confidant" in a Sentence
- Julio was a confidant of my father's.
- There was always a part of me that felt like a stranger in this world, but I had finally found someone who could be my confidant, someone I could trust and open up to.
- Too often, we rely on friends and family as our confidants, when we should be reaching out to a professional.
- Against her better judgment, Sara had become more than just a confidant to many of her patients—she counted many as her friends, and hadn’t thought about the implications it would have for her career.
- I don’t have anyone to confide in, so I mostly keep to myself.
- The novel is about a woman who confides in a man she barely knows.
- The role of the confidant is to listen and to be trustworthy.
- The line between friend and confidant is sometimes blurred.
- Rudy confided in me that he was thinking about quitting his job.
- I thought Kate was my confidant, but it turns out that she was just using me for information.
More Examples of How to Use "Confidante" in a Sentence
- Samantha has been my confidante for many years now, and I know I can always count on her to keep my secrets safe.
- She was my best friend and confidante for many years.
- The diary was her only confidante, and she poured her heart out into it every day.
- My best friend, is my confidante, and I tell her everything.
- I value my confidante's opinion and sage advice.
- I'm grateful for my confidante, who has helped me through some difficult times.
More Examples of How to Use "Confident" in a Sentence
- Tim didn't seem very confident when he was giving the presentation.
- Andrea wished that she was more confident in her ability to speak in public.
- Gabe was confident that he could get the job done, even though it seemed like a long shot.
- The new employees were not confident in their ability to do the job, so they quit.
- You should be confident in yourself, and realistic at the same time.
- The young man was confident that he could fix the car for far less money than they were going to charge him at the auto shop.
- Ms. Sanders was not confident in her answer, but she went with it anyway.
- "I'm confident I can help you get a job," she said. "I know how to research companies, and I can help you create a cover letter that will impress them."
- They all had confidence that the company would succeed, but they were worried about how they would continue funding it.
- Tanisha seemed confident in herself, but she had never been tested like this before.
- Danny is a very confident person, except when he's golfing.
- She is confident in her abilities, so she went to college for an art degree, despite her parents' advice.
- Although Linda had no experience with the new product, she felt confident in her ability to handle the project, so she accepted the work assignment, hoping that her efforts would impress her boss.