Confident means feeling sure of yourself and your abilities. When you're confident, you believe you can handle a situation or accomplish what you're trying to do. A confident student raises their hand in class because they trust they know the answer. A confident soccer player takes the penalty kick because they believe in their skills.

Confidence comes from different sources. Sometimes it grows from practice and preparation: a musician feels confident before a recital because they've rehearsed for weeks. Other times it comes from past success: you feel confident riding your bike because you've done it hundreds of times without falling.

Being confident doesn't mean thinking you're perfect or never making mistakes. A truly confident person can admit when they're wrong or ask for help when they need it. They're simply not paralyzed by fear of failure. If you're confident about your science presentation, you might still feel a few butterflies, but you trust yourself to get through it.

You can also be confident in something else, like feeling confident in your friend's ability to keep a secret or confident that spring will eventually arrive. The opposite is insecure or uncertain, when doubt holds you back from trying or speaking up.