cede

verb

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\ ˈsēd

ceded; ceding

Definition of cede

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

Other Words from cede Synonyms Do you cede or seed control? Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about cede

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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 Among other rulings The KHSAA will cede authority to each school on determining academic eligibility for student-athletes, noting inconsistencies in how each district counts credits and grades during online instruction in the spring. — James Weber, The Enquirer, "KHSAA delays start of official fall practice to August 3; season openers still on schedule," 11 July 2020 And this makes the left’s relative silence, and willingness to cede policy ground to the right, that much more jarring. — Casey Michel, The New Republic, "The Left’s Deafening Silence on China’s Ethnic Cleansing," 7 July 2020 This weekend's deployment of the two carriers appears to be a clear statement that Washington is not about to cede any influence in the region to Beijing. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "5 things to know for July 6: Coronavirus, gun violence, China, gas pipeline, Japan," 6 July 2020 A few years later, Vietnam protesters began replacing the flag with peace flags, or burning the American flag in disgust of governmental policies, and those on the left began to cede the Stars and Stripes to conservatives. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "On July 4th, remember the American flag belongs to us all," 3 July 2020 De Blasio, in turn, proposed a plan that would cede to the protesters' demand for the $1 billion cut in police funding. — Fox News, "Pols face ire of 'Defund the Police' force, from Seattle to New York City," 29 June 2020 But who in Seattle voted to cede their neighborhood to armed vigilantes? — Karl Rove, WSJ, "Seattle’s Chaotic ‘Autonomous Zone’," 17 June 2020 President Trump loses the November election to Democratic rival Joe Biden but refuses to cede office when his term ends on Jan. 21 at 12 p.m. — Joseph Simonson, Washington Examiner, "Democrats increasingly paranoid Trump won't leave office voluntarily if he loses," 12 June 2020 The plan was to cede much of the underwriting and approval process to banks, which would accept applications from their customers and then forward qualifying borrowers to SBA for processing. — Anchorage Daily News, "After a messy start, enormous Paycheck Protection Program shows signs of buttressing economy during pandemic," 10 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cede.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.