concession

con·ces·sion | \ kən-ˈse-shən

Definition of concession

1a : the act or an instance of conceding (as by granting something as a right, accepting something as true, or acknowledging defeat) The union will seek further concessions before accepting the contract.

b : the admitting of a point claimed in argument

2 : something conceded or granted:

a : acknowledgment, admission

b : something done or agreed to usually grudgingly in order to reach an agreement or improve a situation The ending of the movie was changed as a concession to the American audience's sensibilities.

c(1) : a grant of land or property especially by a government in return for services or for a particular use

(2) : a right to undertake and profit by a specified activity a concession to drill for oil

(3) : a lease of a portion of premises for a particular purpose also : the portion leased or the activities carried on

3a : a small business or shop where things are sold in a public place (such as a sports stadium or theater) The theater had real Raisinets at the concession, so I got some of those, too.— Neal Fandek … Billie's visiting with her father, and I'm standing alone at the concession stand, buying my butterless corn.— Carrie Fisher

b concessions, plural : things sold at such a business Spectators spend an average of $5 per game on concessions.— Jack Gallagher

Other Words from concession Synonyms Meanings of Concession More Example Sentences Learn More about concession

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Meanings of Concession

Concession carries two very distinct meanings in English. It is commonly used to indicate something that has been conceded (as when the politician who loses a race gives a concession speech, or when someone makes a concession in an argument). In a completely different context, the word maybe be found in the phrase concession stand. Where does this last use come from? Were concession stands originally set up to settle arguments or elections? Hardly. The concession in concession stand denotes “a usually exclusive right to undertake and profit by a specified activity.” The phrase is first recorded in a classified ad seeking someone to work at a booth at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Examples of concession in a Sentence

In the big pristine forests of the Congo Basin, governments are selling logging and mining concessions to get money … — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2007 With him he carried a secret mandate from Prince Gauda, promising all sorts of concessions in Numidia once he was its king. — Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, (1990) 1991 We sang exactly in the same range. There was never a concession that had to be made musically because our ranges were so totally compatible. — Rosemary Clooney, quoted by Joe Smith, Off the Record, 1988 As a concession to her debility she lay on an aluminum chaise longue … — John Updike, New Yorker, 23 May 1988 We are waiting for his concession of the election. The candidate made an emotional concession speech when it was clear that he had lost. The strikers have won some important concessions from the company.

Recent Examples on the Web Available at all premium and concession bars throughout the stadium. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "2,000 slices of pumpkin pie and 870 turkey legs ready for Detroit Lions fans," 27 Nov. 2019 Enjoy lunch from the concession stand, gourmet coffee from the Mission Espresso Bar and live music while shopping for gifts, decor and holiday treats. — Anchorage Daily News, "2019 Holiday Fairs and Bazaars," 27 Nov. 2019 History: Aramco dates back to 1933, when Saudi Arabia granted Standard Oil of California (Socal) a concession to explore for oil in the kingdom. — Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, "Saudi Aramco is the world’s most profitable company — but its IPO is risky. Here’s why.," 27 Nov. 2019 In both cases, workers won higher pay, lighter workloads and other concessions. — Carolyn Said, SFChronicle.com, "Could Macy’s have a Black Friday strike?," 25 Nov. 2019 Their precise composition and future are gray areas, where Beijing has, in the past, expressed openness to concessions and negotiations. — Brian Wong, Time, "Hong Kong's Peaceful Elections Have Created a Chance for Dialogue That All Parties Must Take," 25 Nov. 2019 Governor Matt Bevin gave his concession speech and Andy Beshear and Jacqueline Coleman held a press conference. — Bruce Schreiner, The Courier-Journal, "Andy Beshear says avoiding national politics fueled Kentucky win," 22 Nov. 2019 The government’s one concession—withdrawing a bill that would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial—did little to restore calm. — The Economist, "Hong Kong in revolt China’s unruly periphery resents the Communist Party’s heavy hand," 21 Nov. 2019 Sporadic haggling followed, concessions were made and then at 12:30 p.m., two and a half hours before workout was scheduled to begin, Kaepernick’s camp sent a counterproposal, which the league refused to accept. — Mike Jones, USA TODAY, "Legalese, mistrust and late negotiating: How Colin Kaepernick and the NFL broke apart on workout," 21 Nov. 2019

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

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Last Updated

30 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Concession.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concession?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=c&file=conces01. Accessed 13 December 2019.

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More Definitions for concession

concession

noun

English Language Learners Definition of concession

: the act of giving up something or doing something in order to reach agreement

: the act of admitting that you have been defeated in a contest

: something that you allow or do to end a conflict or reach an agreement

See the full definition for concession in the English Language Learners Dictionary

concession

noun

con·ces·sion | \ kən-ˈse-shən

Kids Definition of concession

1 : the act or an instance of giving up or admitting something a concession of defeat His one concession to the temperature was that we work indoors …— Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved

2 : something given up The employees won concessions from the company.

3 : a right to engage in business given by an authority a mining concession

4 : a small business where things are sold (as at a sports facility or public place)

concession

noun

con·ces·sion

Legal Definition of concession

1 : an act or instance of conceding or yielding

2 : something conceded: as

a : acknowledgment, admission

b : something granted especially as an inducement (as to enter into an agreement)

c : a grant of real property especially by a government in return for services or for a particular use (as settlement)

d : a right to undertake a specified activity for profit on another's real property a logging concession

e : a lease that grants a right to engage in a profitable activity on another's real property also : the property or portion of the property subject to such a lease

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