sb. (a.). [This appears, with its fem. confidante, after 1700, when co·nfident (with stress on the first syllable) had already been in use for nearly a century in a kindred sense. Cotgr. has F. confidant, -ante, with confident as a by-form; on the other hand, Littré quotes confident from the 16th c. onward, and knows nothing of confidant. The latter may, however, have been taken in English as the correct Fr. form; or possibly the Eng. was only an attempt to represent the pronunciation of the French -ent, -ente. The verb in It. (and Pr.) is confidar, which would give a pple. confidante; but this is not found in the required sense.]
A. sb. ‘A person trusted with private affairs, commonly with affairs of love’ (J.). Now used somewhat more widely, so as to take the place of CONFIDENT sb. 2.
[In Pepys’ Diary, 1 May, 1666, where editors print confidant, Pepys wrote confident.]
1714. Arbuthnot & Pope, Martin Scribl. (J.). Martin composed his billet-doux, and intrusted it to his confidant.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic., xxvii. He proffered his service … as agent, mediator, or confidant.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xxi. I repeat, that I am not her confidant.
1836–49. Smart, Confidant, Confidante, a person entrusted with matters pertaining to the lighter commerce of life, as those of love, gallantry, and fashion.
1845. S. Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. V. i. 19. Cardinal Wolsey, the king’s confidant.
1876. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk., I. IV. i. 366. He was accustomed to make her his confidant in his ecclesiastical proceedings.
b. with of: cf. CONFIDENT sb. 2 b.
1874. H. R. Reynolds, John Bapt., VI. § 1. 368. The explanation … seems to me to lie in the possibility that Jesus had made John the confidant of His fierce and awful trial.
B. as adj. Entrusted with secrets; privy to (a secret matter) rare. [Cf. F. confident in Littré.]
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxxii. I well know you are confidant to one dreadful secret.
