cede

verb

ceded; ceding

transitive verb

1
: to yield or grant typically by treaty
Russia ceded Alaska to the U.S. in 1867.
2
: assign, transfer
ceded his stock holdings to his children
ceder noun

Did you know?

Do you cede or seed control?

Cede means "to yield or grant typically by treaty." Most of the verb senses of seed are concerned with planting seeds (either literal, as of plants, or figuratively, as of ideas). However, the word may also be used to mean "to schedule (tournament players or teams) so that superior ones will not meet in early rounds." If you relinquish or yield something you are ceding it, and if you are organizing the participants in a tournament you are seeding them.

Did you know?

Cede is often a formal term used in discussing territory and rights, but is also used less formally. So, for example, Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the U.S. in 1898, following the Spanish-American War, and the U.S. ceded control of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999. Critics warn that we are ceding leadership in alternative-energy technology to China. Citizens of one European country or another are always worrying that their own country is ceding too much power to the European Union. A tennis player doesn't have any choice when she cedes her no. 1 ranking to a rival.

Examples of cede in a Sentence

Russia ceded Alaska to the U.S. in 1867. she reluctantly ceded her position as leader
Recent Examples on the Web The day after the city ceded to Brodeur’s request, the Senate passed its pre-emption of the ban. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 The dispute was eventually settled in 2009, with Danone selling its stake for about $500 million and ceding all control to Wahaha. Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel released on Friday his most detailed proposal yet for a postwar Gaza, pledging to retain indefinite military control over the enclave, while ceding the administration of civilian life to Gazans without links to Hamas. Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Our right of local self-government is critically impaired, and our legislature in Austin continues to cede control to Washington D.C. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 But ceding distribution to outside tech firms hastened much of the industry’s downfall. Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024 No one thinks that the military, with its lucrative business interests and self-image as the backbone holding together a beleaguered democracy, will cede power anytime soon. Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 This idea that lawyers and judges who use generative AI today are also going to lose their minds and cede control of the courtroom and legal pleadings to the AI is not simply farfetched but also dangerously alarmist. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Instead of ceding tax sovereignty and encouraging businesses to conduct their activity elsewhere, Congress should increase the attractiveness of the United States as an investment destination and reject the OECD’s tax tyranny. Adam N. Michel, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cede.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French or Latin; French céder, borrowed from Latin cēdere "to go, move away, withdraw, yield," perhaps, if derived from an originally transitive meaning "drive away," akin to Sanskrit sedhati "(she/he) chases away," Avestan siiazdat "will chase away"

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cede was in 1743

Dictionary Entries Near cede

Cite this Entry

“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cede. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cede

verb
ceded; ceding
: to give up especially by treaty
Russia ceded Alaska to the U.S. in 1867

Legal Definition

cede

transitive verb
ceded; ceding
1
: to yield or grant usually by treaty
2
3
: to transfer (all or part of one's liability as an insurer under an insurance policy) by reinsurance to another insurer

More from Merriam-Webster on cede

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!