confidante

A confidante is a trusted female companion with whom one shares personal information, secrets, and feelings. The term denotes a person who listens, provides support, and keeps confidences, often functioning as an emotional confidant, adviser, or sounding board. The male equivalent is confidant; together the two terms describe close, trusted relationships regardless of formal status.

Etymology: confidante comes from French confidante, the feminine form of confidant, from Latin confidere “to trust.” In English, the feminine form emphasizes gender, while some uses of confidante are considered variants or less common for a generic or gender-neutral sense.

Role and expectations: A confidante is expected to maintain discretion, exercise empathy, and offer honest perspectives without repeating what is shared. The relationship is defined by trust and confidentiality, rather than by social power or obligation.

In literature and culture: The confidante character appears across genres as a close companion who reveals secrets, conveys social commentary, or helps drive a protagonist’s decisions. The archetype can illuminate gender dynamics and the social function of confidences in different eras.