yield

verb

\ ˈyēld

yielded; yielding; yields

Definition of yield

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 archaic : recompense, reward

2 : to give or render as fitting, rightfully owed, or required

3 : to give up possession of on claim or demand: such as

a : to give up (one's breath, life, or spirit) and so die

b : to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another : hand over possession of

c : to surrender or submit (oneself) to another

d : to give (oneself) up to an inclination, temptation, or habit

e : to relinquish one's possession of (something, such as a position of advantage or point of superiority) yield precedence

4a : to bear or bring forth as a natural product especially as a result of cultivation the tree always yields good fruit

b : to produce or furnish as return this soil should yield good crops

c(1) : to produce as return from an expenditure or investment : furnish as profit or interest a bond that yields 12 percent

(2) : to produce as revenue : bring in the tax is expected to yield millions

5 : to give up (a hit or run) in baseball yielded two runs in the third inning

intransitive verb

1 : to be fruitful or productive : bear, produce

2 : to give up and cease resistance or contention : submit, succumb facing an enemy who would not yield yielding to temptation

3 : to give way to pressure or influence : submit to urging, persuasion, or entreaty

4 : to give way under physical force (such as bending, stretching, or breaking)

5a : to give place or precedence : acknowledge the superiority of someone else

b : to be inferior our dictionary yields to none

c : to give way to or become succeeded by someone or something else

6 : to relinquish the floor of a legislative assembly

yield

noun

Definition of yield (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something yielded : product especially : the amount or quantity produced or returned yield of wheat per acre

2 : the capacity of yielding produce

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Choose the Right Synonym for yield

Verb

yield, submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer mean to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist. yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty. yields too easily in any argument submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another. a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force. officials capitulated to the protesters' demands succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force. a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand. finally relented and let the children stay up late defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another. I defer to your expertise in these matters

synonyms see in addition relinquish

Examples of yield in a Sentence

Verb

The apple trees yielded an abundant harvest. This soil should yield good crops. The seeds yield a rich oil. New methods have yielded promising results in the field. The studies yielded clear evidence. The tax is expected to yield millions. The bond yields seven percent annually. After several hours of debate, the opposition yielded. I yield the floor to the Senator from Maine. I yield to the Senator.

Noun

Our yield of wheat increased this year. The average yield per tree is about one bushel. The yield on government bonds is currently seven percent.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The solemn orchestral chords that opened the performance – when the night was still dry – quickly yielded to sonorous utterances from the chorus (directed by Christopher Bell). — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Reviews: Jazz Institute’s 50th; Grant Park Orchestra’s ‘Missa Solemnis’; ‘Flower of Hawaii’," 30 June 2019 Those modest-size, minimalist works yielded in the 1990s to larger, more daring sculptures that toyed with perspectives of dimensions and space while adhering to realism. — Richard Sandomir, BostonGlobe.com, "Robert Therrien, sculptor, 71; made the mundane monumental," 26 June 2019 Cyclists are encouraged to walk their bikes during heavy usage time and to yield to those on foot. — oregonlive.com, "Portland metro Tuesday traffic: I-405 Ramps Project traffic delays and closures this week," 25 June 2019 The crunch of that crisp, greasy, deep brown crust yielding to a pillowy core is just flat-out good. — Lauren Saria, azcentral, "Here are 3 new metro Phoenix restaurants to add your June must-try list," 21 June 2019 In yielding to Nero, Poppea spurns her former lover, Ottone, who has been the hopeless love object of Drusilla. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, "Coming-of-age story packs an emotional wallop with its premiere at opera festival," 18 June 2019 This one, however, yielded to Barrett's steady retrieve and, after 8 minutes, was in the net. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Lake Michigan charter outing provides fresh fish and perspectives," 15 June 2019 One night after slamming five homers against Texas, Boston went one better against the dreadful Orioles, who yielded 17 hits to Toronto on Thursday night. — David Ginsburg, courant.com, "Martinez hits 2 of Boston’s 6 HRs in 13-2 rout of Orioles," 15 June 2019 And anyone willing to hike up the slopes can ski or snowboard back down (but must yield to sledders). — Joe Yogerst, National Geographic, "Everything to know about Rocky Mountain National Park," 8 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Spraying fields with pesticides and fertilizers, the drones -- which can cover up to 60 acres a day -- could boost crop yields, save time and make backbreaking field work much easier, according to Bug Away. — Sarah Lazarus And Dan Tham, CNN, "Will drones transform farmers' lives in Thailand?," 3 July 2019 The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.97% from 2.03% late Monday. — Alex Veiga, SFChronicle.com, "Stocks rebound, S&P 500 hits a record again," 2 July 2019 Normal use yields about 30 10-gram waste cakes a day. — Manuel Canales, National Geographic, "These new toilets could solve a global problem," 22 June 2019 Almost $12 trillion of investment grade corporate and government bonds have negative yields, predominately in Europe and Japan, according to Barclays data, the Financial Times reports. — Eshe Nelson, Quartz, "$12 trillion of negative-yielding bonds are sending a clear message of distress," 19 June 2019 This demand has pushed up the prices of government bonds, and yields, which move in the opposite direction, sharply lower. — Matt Phillips, New York Times, "The Trade War With China Has an Upside for Consumers, Too," 17 June 2019 An aspergillus infection can weaken the plants enough to reduce crop yield, which is a concern for the farmers. — Nutrition Diva Monica Reinagel, Scientific American, "Aflatoxins in Nuts: Danger or Hype?," 6 June 2019 But today, traditional simplicity yields to modern tastes and diets. — Eric Velasco, al.com, "Meet the crew who makes Birmingham’s barbecue," 3 June 2019 The Oregon Senate passes a bill allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yields. — oregonlive.com, "Portland metro Friday traffic: Crane removal postponed until July," 21 June 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near yield

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Last Updated

9 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for yield

The first known use of yield was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for yield

yield

noun

Financial Definition of yield

What It Is

Yield refers to the cash return to the owner of a security or investment.

How It Works

In general, yield is calculated as follows:

Periodic Cash Distributions / Total Cost of Investment = Yield

The term yield may refer to slightly different aspects of a return for variable types of investments. For example, a yield on bonds, such as the coupon yield is the annual interest paid on the principal amount of the bond. Current yield is the coupon yield on a bond at a specific point in the time before the bond maturity. A yield to maturity of a bond is the internal rate of return on a bond's cash flow, including the cost of the bonds, period payments from the bonds, if any, and the return of the principal at redemption.

[Use our Yield to Call (YTC) Calculator to measure your annual return if you hold a particular bond until its first call date.]

[Use our Yield to Maturity (YTM) Calculator to measure your annual return if you plan to hold a particular bond until maturity.]

In equities, yields on preferred shares are similar to bond yields. For example, the dividend yield is the total payments in a year from the preferred shares divided by the principal value of the preferred shares. The current yield refers to the annual payments divided by the current market price.

Why It Matters

While yields of various investments do not explain the reasons for the gains and losses, they may mask declines in the underlying value of the assets or the effects of inflation. Using the yield is a convenient way of comparing the returns on various financial investments.

Source: Investing Answers

yield

verb