The Distinction between Certitude and Certainty:

• certainty: something that is certain; the quality or state of being certain esp. on the basis of evidence (certainty and certitude are very close, certainty may stress the existence of objective proof: [as in] ‘claims that cannot be confirmed with scientific certainty’, while certitude may emphasise a faith in something not needing or not capable of proof: [as in] ‘believes with certitude in an afterlife’). (Merriam-Webster).

Confident:

• ‘confident: 1. characterised by assurance; esp. self-reliant [having confidence in and exercising one’s own powers or judgement]; 2. obs. trustful [full of trust], confiding; 3a. full of conviction, certain b. cocksure’. (©Merriam-Webster).

• ‘confident: (obsolete) 1. trustful, confiding’. (Oxford Dictionary).

• ‘confident: 4. obsolete confiding; trustful. (American Heritage® Dictionary).

• ‘assurance: (...) the state of being assured [to give confidence to; to make sure or certain; convince; to inform positively; to make certain the coming or attainment of]; a being certain in the mind; confidence of mind or manner; easy freedom from self-doubt or uncertainty; something that inspires or tends to inspire confidence’. (©Merriam-Webster).

Here is what certainty (aka ‘an easy freedom from uncertainty’ just above) means to them:

• ‘certainty: something that is certain; the quality or state of being certain esp. on the basis of evidence (...) certainty and certitude are very close, certainty may stress the existence of objective proof: ‘claims that cannot be confirmed with scientific certainty’, while certitude may emphasise a faith in something not needing or not capable of proof: ‘believes with certitude in an afterlife’. (©Merriam-Webster).

(see (Richard, Actual Freedom List, No. 78, 25 November 2004) and (Richard, Actual Freedom List, Gary, 26 January 2003).

Confidence: 

• confidence: consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances (...) the quality or state of being certain; syn.: assurance (assurance carries a stronger implication of certainty). (©Merriam-Webster).

• assurance: the state of being assured (to give confidence to; to make sure or certain; convince; to inform positively; to make certain the coming or attainment of); a being certain in the mind; confidence of mind or manner; easy freedom from self-doubt or uncertainty; something that inspires or tends to inspire confidence. (©Merriam-Webster).

• certainty: something that is certain; the quality or state of being certain esp. on the basis of evidence (certainty and certitude are very close, certainty may stress the existence of objective proof: ‘claims that cannot be confirmed with scientific certainty’, while certitude may emphasise a faith in something not needing or not capable of proof: ‘believes with certitude in an afterlife’). (©Merriam-Webster).

‘Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Frequency) of the noun confidence’: 

• certainty – (the state of being certain). (©WordNet 1.7).

And under the heading: ‘Attributes of the noun confidence’:

• certain (prenominal) (vs. uncertain), sure (vs. unsure) – (having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured). (©WordNet 1.7).

As for other dictionaries ... the Oxford Dictionary has this as their No. 2 meaning:

• ‘confidence (noun): assurance arising from reliance on oneself, circumstances, etc.’. (©Oxford Dictionary).

And the American Heritage® Dictionary has this as their No. 5 definition:

• ‘confidence (noun): the state or quality of being certain’. (©American Heritage® Dictionary).

As does the Merriam-Webster:

• ‘confidence (noun): the quality or state of being certain’. (©Merriam-Webster).

• ‘synonyms: 1. assured, sanguine, secure, self-assured, self-confident, undoubtful; 2. sure [marked by unwavering assurance especially as to the rightness of one’s views or actions], cocksure, positive; 3. presumptuous [marked by or based on bold and excessive self-confidence], brash, brassbound, overconfident, overweening, presuming, pushful, pushy, self-assertive, uppity’. (©Merriam-Webster).

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