concede

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verb con·cede \ kən-ˈsēd \

Updated on: 7 Aug 2017

Definition of concede

conceded; conceding

transitive verb

1 :to grant as a right or privilege

Britain conceded the independence of the colonies.

2 a :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

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concededly

play \kən-ˈsē-dəd-lē\ adverb

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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

Daly conceded that his fifth-place finish might have been the best and most satisfying drive of his career.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Suddenly there's bad blood in the IndyCar paddock," 27 Aug. 2017
At a county board meeting this week, the sheriff and county mental health director conceded that jailers had been told there was no room for Holland at the county’s 16-bed psychiatric facility even though space became available.

— paige st. john, latimes.com, "Naked, filthy and strapped to a chair for 46 hours: a mentally ill inmate's last days," 24 Aug. 2017
Even the government's own figures concede the Taliban contest or control 35 percent, a substantial gain over last year.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Shifting grounds in Afghanistan make victory elusive," 23 Aug. 2017
In fact, the court in Gill conceded that Wisconsin Republicans had respected traditional redistricting principles.

— rick esenberg, National Review, "Define ‘Gerrymander’ Precisely: The Supreme Court Tackles the Impossible," 22 Aug. 2017
And those final two games were not competitive, with Halep all but conceding.

— dave clark, Cincinnati.com, "Three keys to Muguruza's win vs. Halep at Western and Southern Open," 20 Aug. 2017
In the U.S., the president concedes no items of this list.

— henry porter, The Hive, "Donald Trump, Theresa May, and the End of Government as We Know It," 14 Aug. 2017
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

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

concede Synonyms

Synonyms

acknowledge, agree, allow, admit, confess, fess (up), grant, own (up to)

Antonyms

deny

Related Words

disburden, unburden, unload; affirm, avow, confirm, profess; accept, recognize, yield; announce, break, broadcast, communicate, declare, disclose, divulge, impart, proclaim, publish, reveal, spill, tell, unveil; betray, blab, expose, give away, inform, leak, rat, squeal, talk, tattle, tip (off), warn, wise (up); breathe, say, whisper

Near Antonyms

disallow, disavow, disclaim, disown; contradict, dispute, gainsay, negate, negative; rebut, refute, reject, repudiate; conceal, cover (up), hide, obscure, veil; kid (oneself)

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

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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