concession

noun

con·​ces·​sion kən-ˈse-shən How to pronounce concession (audio)
plural concessions
1
a
: the act or an instance of conceding (as by granting something as a right, accepting something as true, or acknowledging defeat)
The union will seek further concessions before accepting the contract.
b
: the admitting of a point claimed in argument
2
: something conceded or granted:
b
: something done or agreed to usually grudgingly in order to reach an agreement or improve a situation
The ending of the movie was changed as a concession to the American audience's sensibilities.
c(1)
: a grant of land or property especially by a government in return for services or for a particular use
(2)
: a right to undertake and profit by a specified activity
a concession to drill for oil
(3)
: a lease of a portion of premises for a particular purpose
also : the portion leased or the activities carried on
3
a
: a small business or shop where things are sold in a public place (such as a sports stadium or theater)
The theater had real Raisinets at the concession, so I got some of those, too.Neal Fandek
… Billie's visiting with her father, and I'm standing alone at the concession stand, buying my butterless corn.Carrie Fisher
b
concessions plural : things sold at such a business
Spectators spend an average of $5 per game on concessions.Jack Gallagher
concessional
kən-ˈsesh-nəl How to pronounce concession (audio)
-ˈse-shə-nᵊl
adjective
concessionary adjective

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Meanings of Concession

Concession carries two very distinct meanings in English. It is commonly used to indicate something that has been conceded (as when the politician who loses a race gives a concession speech, or when someone makes a concession in an argument). In a completely different context, the word maybe be found in the phrase concession stand. Where does this last use come from? Were concession stands originally set up to settle arguments or elections? Hardly. The concession in concession stand denotes “a usually exclusive right to undertake and profit by a specified activity.” The phrase is first recorded in a classified ad seeking someone to work at a booth at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Examples of concession in a Sentence

In the big pristine forests of the Congo Basin, governments are selling logging and mining concessions to get money … Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2007
With him he carried a secret mandate from Prince Gauda, promising all sorts of concessions in Numidia once he was its king. Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, (1990) 1991
We sang exactly in the same range. There was never a concession that had to be made musically because our ranges were so totally compatible. Rosemary Clooney, quoted by Joe Smith in Off the Record, 1988
As a concession to her debility she lay on an aluminum chaise longue … John Updike, New Yorker, 23 May 1988
We are waiting for his concession of the election. The candidate made an emotional concession speech when it was clear that he had lost. The strikers have won some important concessions from the company.
Recent Examples on the Web After a Texas prosecutor’s extraordinary concession that his office had used false evidence to secure a death sentence, the Supreme Court told a Texas appeals court last year to have another look at the case. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Last week, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and Caribbean Community leaders urged Henry once again to make concessions. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Ahead of that meeting, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the U.S. and its partners are asking Mr. Henry to make concessions. Dánica Coto, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 The event hosts north of 6,000 motion picture professionals from all corners of the industry including exhibition, distribution, marketing, promotion, equipment and concessions. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024 The World Champion Texas Rangers will offer fans Texas’ favorite cheeseburgers this season, adding a Whataburger concession stand inside Globe Life Field. Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024 That took a bite not only out of employment, but out of auto wages, as the United Auto Workers union agreed to deep concessions, including a lower tier of wages, to help keep all three companies alive. Chris Isidore, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 But Republicans failure to pass the bipartisan border security deal that took months to negotiate and included many of the concessions that the GOP has demanded for years has given Democrats an opportunity to go on offense. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2024 Credit cards, Padres Pay, Google Pay and Apple Pay are accepted at all concessions locations within the ballpark. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024

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

Middle English concessyon, from Anglo-French concessioun, from Latin concession-, concessio, from concedere to concede

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of concession was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near concession

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

concession

noun
con·​ces·​sion kən-ˈsesh-ən How to pronounce concession (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of conceding
2
: something conceded or granted
3
: a special right or privilege given by an authority
a concession to sell souvenirs
a mining concession

Legal Definition

concession

noun
con·​ces·​sion
1
: an act or instance of conceding or yielding
2
: something conceded: as
b
: something granted especially as an inducement (as to enter into an agreement)
c
: a grant of real property especially by a government in return for services or for a particular use (as settlement)
d
: a right to undertake a specified activity for profit on another's real property
a logging concession
e
: a lease that grants a right to engage in a profitable activity on another's real property
also : the property or portion of the property subject to such a lease

More from Merriam-Webster on concession

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