concede

play

verb con·cede \kən-ˈsēd\

Definition of concede

conceded

;

conceding

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

concededly

play \kən-ˈsē-dəd-lē\ adverb

conceder

noun

See concede defined for English-language learners

See concede defined for kids

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 of concede from the Web

Republicans conceded their other options may be exhausted.

— steve holland, amanda becker, Alaska Dispatch News, "At White House meeting, Trump chides Senate Republicans on health care," 19 July 2017
And some Republicans privately concede that Keirstead is a strong candidate.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump-Russia Scandal Could Be Trouble for ‘Putin’s Favorite Congressman’," 19 July 2017
With a grin, Judge conceded the Washington Nationals ace fooled him.

— CBS News, "Home Run Derby sluggers fizzle in MLB All-Star Game," 12 July 2017
Portland had opportunities to win the match, but conceded a second half goal and missed a penalty kick late in the game as the club settled for the draw.

— jamie goldberg, oregonlive.com, "Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire: Live Updates, Score, TV Channel," 5 July 2017
Fans cheered respectfully as the Celtics’ starters checked out of the game with 28.3 seconds left, conceding victory.

— joseph goodman, miamiherald, "The Bosh ‘Big 3’ game that propelled the Miami Heat into the NBA Finals," 4 July 2017
Portland has conceded 28 goals this season, which ranks fourth-worst in MLS, and the Timbers have dropped results in part due to big mistakes on the back line in the last three games.

— jamie goldberg, OregonLive.com, "Larrys Mabiala 'excited' for new challenge with Portland Timbers," 29 June 2017
While not every person with addiction needs inpatient treatment, officials conceded that many of the treatment programs are far enough from Jewett City that getting patients to them is a problem.

— janice steinhagen, Courant Community, "State Police Roll Out Local Drug Referral Initiative," 23 June 2017
Frank W. Miller, a lawyer representing school board members, has conceded that Mr. Paladino’s statements were protected speech but said that the board was not trying to remove him for those statements.

— luis ferrÉ-sadurnÍ and elizabeth a. harris, New York Times, "With Paladino’s Job at Stake, Right to Free Speech Is His Defense," 22 June 2017

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

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.

Origin and Etymology of concede

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1626

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of 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

CONCEDE Defined for English Language Learners

concede

play

verb

Definition of concede for English Language Learners

: to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something) : to admit (something) usually in an unwilling way
: to admit that you have been defeated and stop trying to win
: to give away (something) usually in an unwilling way

CONCEDE Defined for Kids

concede

play

verb con·cede \kən-ˈsēd\

Definition of concede for Students

conceded

;

conceding

1 : to admit to be true The candidate had to concede defeat.
2 : to grant or yield usually unwillingly Britain conceded the independence of the colonies.