concede

verb

con·​cede kən-ˈsēd How to pronounce concede (audio)
conceded; conceding

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to acknowledge grudgingly or hesitantly
conceded that it might be a good idea
(2)
: to relinquish grudgingly or hesitantly
concede power
b
: to accept as true, valid, or accurate
The right of the state to tax is generally conceded.
2
: to grant as a right or privilege
Britain conceded the independence of the colonies.
concededly adverb
conceder noun

Did you know?

Politics and Concede

After the votes have been counted, one candidate traditionally concedes the election to his or her opponent by giving a concession speech. If you're lucky, your boss will concede that she was wrong the last time she criticized you. But in the middle of an argument, we're not all so good at conceding that the other guy might have a good point.

Choose the Right Synonym for concede

grant, concede, vouchsafe, accord, award mean to give as a favor or a right.

grant implies giving to a claimant or petitioner something that could be withheld.

granted them a new hearing

concede implies yielding something reluctantly in response to a rightful or compelling claim.

even her critics concede she can be charming

vouchsafe implies granting something as a courtesy or an act of gracious condescension.

vouchsafed the secret to only a few chosen disciples

accord implies giving to another what is due or proper.

accorded all the honors befitting a head of state

award implies giving what is deserved or merited usually after a careful weighing of pertinent factors.

awarded the company a huge defense contract

Examples of concede in a Sentence

… he conceded that with six kids, something like this was bound to happen. At least one of them had to be a bad egg. Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, 2005
… it was generally conceded that Caepio, if and when tried for treason under the present system, would be acquitted. Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, (1990) 1991
… after listening to Tom, he conceded that there were some conspicuous advantages about a life of crime, and so he consented to be a pirate. Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876
I concede that the work has been slow so far, but it should speed up soon. “Your plan might work,” she conceded, “but I still think mine is better.” Although it seems clear that he has lost the election, he still refuses to concede. He's not ready to concede the election. The former ruler was forced to concede power to a new government. The company says that workers are not conceding enough in negotiations.
Recent Examples on the Web The former president's legal team contended a fair trial would not be possible before the upcoming presidential election, but conceded August or September would be feasible should the judge decide to move forward. Robert Legare, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 Incumbent tax assessor-collector Wendy Burgess appears to have conceded her tight primary race Wednesday morning in an email to the Star-Telegram. Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Pollsters partly concede the point; few people these days are willing to be candid with a stranger about politics, and fewer still have landlines. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Lewis was always a tiny bit quicker to concede a point than David. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 An own goal in the first minute set the tone for a dismal day for the visitors, who conceded to six different opposition players including Heyman, who started and got four for herself. Neel Shelat, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Columbus did not concede again and the Ducks’ rally fell shy of a league-best 11th comeback. Josh Gross, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 However, Nielsen does concede that every fabric and rug in her house is Fiber-Sealed, to help keep things durable and stain-free as much as possible. Ariel Okin, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2024 Castro conceded there were shortcomings in the investigation by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department — with evidence missing and few photos of the scene. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concede.' 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

French or Latin; French concéder, from Latin concedere, from com- + cedere to yield

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of concede was in 1626

Dictionary Entries Near concede

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

concede

verb
con·​cede kən-ˈsēd How to pronounce concede (audio)
conceded; conceding
1
: to grant as a right or privilege
2
: to admit the truth or existence of something
concede defeat
conceder noun
Etymology

from French concéder or Latin concedere, both meaning "to yield, grant, concede," from Latin con-, com- "together, with" and cedere "to go, withdraw, yield" — related to ancestor, necessary, predecessor, succeed

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