acceded; acceding
1
formal
a
: to express approval or give consent : to agree to a request or demand
—usually + to
The government acceded to their demands.
b
: to become a party to something (such as an agreement)
—usually + to
accede to the terms of a contract
2
formal
: to enter upon an office or position
—usually + to
He acceded to the throne [=became king] in 1838.
3
archaic, formal
: approach
Did you know?
To accede usually means to yield, often under pressure and with some reluctance, to the needs or requests of others. Voters usually accede to a tax increase only when they're convinced it's the only real solution to a shortfall in government funding. A patient may accede to surgery only after the doctor assures him it's better than the alternatives. If you accede to your spouse's plea to watch the new reality show at 9:00, you may get to choose something better at 10:00.
Examples of accede in a Sentence
His son acceded upon the king's death.
finally acceded to their pleas for more time to complete the project
Recent Examples on the Web
Nearly three dozen countries have not acceded to it, including some key current and past producers and users of land mines such as the United States, China, India, Pakistan, South Korea and Russia.
—
Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
The United Kingdom has acceded to the trade pact and several other major economies, including China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan, have expressed interest in joining.
—Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025
In 1999, after 13 years of negotiations under three presidents, the Clinton administration acceded to admission of China to the WTO.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
India sent troops in on condition that Singh formally accede to India, and the first of four Indian-Pakistan wars began in 1947.
—Matt Williams, The Conversation, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for accede
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Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
The United Kingdom has acceded to the trade pact and several other major economies, including China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan, have expressed interest in joining.
—Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025
In 1999, after 13 years of negotiations under three presidents, the Clinton administration acceded to admission of China to the WTO.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
India sent troops in on condition that Singh formally accede to India, and the first of four Indian-Pakistan wars began in 1947.
—Matt Williams, The Conversation, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for accede
Cite this Entry
“Accede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accede. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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Legal Definition
accede
intransitive verb
ac·cede
ak-ˈsēd, ik- 
acceded; acceding
1
a
: to become a party (as to an agreement) by associating oneself with others
they were invited to accede to the covenant
b
: to express approval or give consent
the banker asks for collateral. The debtor…accedes, and transfers some of his property—In re Patterson, 139 F. Supp. 830 (1956)
In re Patterson, 139 F. Supp. 830 (1956)2
: to assume an office or position
acceded to the governorship
3
a
: to become added by way of growth, increase, improvement, or labor
the various improvements…had acceded to the realty and had become “fixtures”—Graham v. Henderson, 608 S.W.2d 150 (1980)
Graham v. Henderson, 608 S.W.2d 150 (1980)
b
: to come into control or ownership of something
a trustee in bankruptcy specifically accedes to all property of the debtor—Directory Int'l, Inc. v. Bates Mfg. Co., 91 B.R. 738 (1988)
Directory Int'l, Inc. v. Bates Mfg. Co., 91 B.R. 738 (1988)Love words? Need even more definitions?
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