concede

verb

Saykuhn-SEEDUS/kənˈsid/UK/kənˈsiːd/

6 meanings of concede

1
verbtransitive
To admit or agree that something is true; to acknowledge it as correct.
Even his critics concede that the new policy has saved money.
She conceded the point once the evidence was laid out in front of her.
Similargrant, acknowledge, admit
Oppositedeny, dispute, contest
Note
Here the yielding happens in argument, and what is given up is a claim. The usual construction is a that-clause: she concedes that…, the minister has conceded that…. The verb typically marks an admission that tells against the speaker's own side, as when a minister concedes that the government does not yet know how its plan will work. Concede the point is the compact version.
2
verbtransitive
To yield, surrender, or grant something to another party.
The general refused to concede any ground to the advancing army.
They conceded the disputed territory in order to end the war.
Similaryield, surrender, cede, relinquish, forfeit
Oppositeretain, hold, seize
Note
Latin gives the picture behind this sense: concēdō, "give way, yield", built from con- "wholly" and cēdō "to go, yield". The image is of stepping back completely and leaving the other side the ground. Its natural objects are contests: people concede an argument or a race, and above all they concede defeat, the set phrase in which this sense lives most comfortably.
3
verbtransitive
To grant something such as a right or privilege; to make a concession of it.
The crown agreed to concede new trading rights to the merchants.
The company conceded additional benefits to its workers after the strike.
Similargrant, accord, award, allow, extend
Oppositewithhold, deny, refuse
4
verbintransitive
To yield or give way; to make a concession.
Neither delegation was willing to concede during the long negotiations.
After the recount confirmed the result, the candidate finally conceded.
Similaryield, capitulate, relent, submit, surrender
Oppositeresist
5
verbtransitive or intransitive
To have a goal or point scored against one's team during a match.
If they concede again, they will drop out of the tournament.
The defense played well but conceded a late goal in stoppage time.
Similarallow
Oppositescore
Note
In this sports usage, the subject is the side that suffers the score, not the side that makes it. The usual object is a goal or point: concede a goal, concede a late goal, win without conceding a goal. The tally belongs to the defending team as a whole and goes into its defensive and goalkeeping record, whichever player was actually at fault.
6
verbtransitive
Of a bowler in cricket, to have runs scored off one's bowling.
Spinners who concede too many runs are quickly dropped from the side.
The young bowler conceded twenty runs in his opening spell.
Similarallow
Note
Cricket narrows the scoring sense to a single player. In the general sports sense a whole team concedes goals, but here the runs are charged to one bowler's figures. The usual object is runs: a bowler concedes twenty runs, or too many runs. Byes and leg byes are the exception, because they count toward the total but are not counted against the bowler.

Practice

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Origin

This comes through Old French conceder from Latin concēdō ("give way, yield"), formed from con- ("wholly") and cēdō ("to yield, grant"), which traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *ked- ("to go, yield").