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 elements of this story—Altman’s uncanny ability to ascend and persuade people to cede power to him—have shown up throughout his career. Karen Hao, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2024 Protection duties—once Wiley’s greatest source of joy—have largely been ceded to Teddy, our six-year-old Kangal. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 19 Sep. 2024 But ceding a raucous home-field advantage could level the playing field after an unmatched run of dominance across the last seven seasons. Michael Shapiro, Chron, 19 Sep. 2024 By not endorsing anyone, the Teamsters are essentially ceding some influence in November’s election as both candidates claimed to have support from its members. Tom Krisher, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cede 

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 10 Oct. 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

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