The Meaning of Conceded: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of conceded? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word conceded, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word conceded mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the verb conceded is the past tense of the verb concede (pronunciation of concede: ​​​kənˈsid) which means to give in, relinquish, to accept as true, or to acknowledge grudgingly or hesitantly. One can add different suffixes to the end of concede other than ed – ing, ble, ive, and more can all be used to change the tense to something like the subjunctive past tense, present participle, or indicative past tense, or part of speech. This word is used in both British English and American English. Try using flashcards or bookmarks to incorporate this word into your vocabulary!

Many different languages also contain words that mean conceded. You might notice that some of these words look similar to the word concede itself. These are called cognates. Cognates are when two words of different languages look and sound similar, and also mean the same or a similar thing. These are usually forms when the words have the same language of origin or root. This list of translations of concede is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Spanish: conceder‎, ceder‎
  •  Hebrew: קיבל‎ (kibél), ויתר‎ (vitér)
  •  Portuguese: ceder‎
  •  Korean: 양보하다‎
  •  Turkish: teslim etmek‎
  •  Swedish: erkänna‎ sig besegrad, ge upp‎
  •  Quechua: uynikuy‎
  •  French: concéder‎, céder‎, admettre‎
  •  Latin: concedō‎
  •  Finnish: luovuttaa‎
  •  Bulgarian: отстъпвам‎
  •  Armenian: զիջել‎
  •  Bokmål: gi opp‎, innrømme‎
  •  German: zugeben‎, zugestehen‎
  •  Russian: сдаваться‎ (impf)
  •  Japanese: 認める‎, 譲歩する‎ (jōhosuru)

How can the word conceded be used in a sentence?

There are many different ways that the word conceded can be used in a sentence. Below are a few examples of conceded.

Due to injury problems outside of his physical control, Kendall the cricket player had to concede the remaining games of the season, leading to his opponent’s victory. 

The losing candidate did not receive anywhere near enough votes to win the polls, so he conceded as a courtesy to his opponent. This act of gracious condescension did not go unnoticed by the opposite party. 

After the careful weighing of pertinent factors, the employees decided to concede their longer vacation time in exchange for higher pay and benefits.

While the opposing team may have conceded their victory in the bowling tournament, they definitely won the battle of wits and remark that ensued in the parking lot – Nancy and Bess threw jabs left and right.  

The government officials decided to grant forgiveness after the administration at Princeton University conceded and admitted their wrongdoing, though it was no secret, as the petitioner attested

The soccer player conceded to his rival after 4 missed free kicks. 

The executive conceded his position at the company after his viral tweet quote got him into trouble.

The amazing student conceded her spot in that year’s class at New York University because she wanted to take a gap year to travel the world. She knew that college would always be there. 

What is the origin of the word conceded?

According to Etymonline, the word concede has been used since the 1630s. This comes from the Old French conceder, French concéder and the Latin concēdere or Latin concedere and Latin concedō meaning to give way or yield. This comes from the intensive prefix con and the Latin cēdere, cedō or cedere, from the Proto-Indo-European roots ked. Word concede has been used since the 1640s to mean to admit as true. It has also been used in an intransitive sense since the year 1780, and to me to admit defeat in an election since the year 1824. Related words include ​​​​conˈceder, conceded, concession, conceding, cede, concessively (adv.) and concessive. 

What are synonyms and antonyms for the word conceded?

There are many different English-language words that a person can use in place of the verb concede. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same definition as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself in spoken or written English. This list of synonyms for the word concede is provided by Thesaurus.

  •  quit
  •  fess up
  •  allow
  •  throw in the towel
  •  capitulate
  •  relinquish
  •  cave in
  •  go along with
  •  ditto
  •  admit
  •  award
  •  accord
  •  give in
  •  play ball with
  •  give up
  •  own
  •  go with the flow
  •  yes one
  •  own up
  •  yield
  •  acknowledge
  •  fold
  •  bury the hatchet
  •  waive
  •  hand over
  •  cry uncle
  •  let on
  •  surrender
  •  accept
  •  confess
  •  avow
  •  knuckle under
  •  grant
  •  say uncle
  •  cede

There are also many different words that have the opposite meaning of the word conceived. These are called antonyms, or opposite words. Antonyms are another great, easy way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word concede is provided by Thesaurus as well. 

  •  taboo
  •  keep back
  •  refute
  •  decline
  •  call on
  •  curb
  •  forgo
  •  ban
  •  abjure
  •  reject
  •  discredit
  •  contradict
  •  spurn
  •  say no to
  •  nullify
  •  oppose
  •  take exception to
  •  controvert
  •  rebuff
  •  refuse
  •  eschew
  •  forbid
  •  begrudge
  •  repudiate
  •  turn thumbs down
  •  disallow
  •  abnegate
  •  disagree
  •  contravene
  •  disacknowledge
  •  discard
  •  disclaim
  •  restrain
  •  hold back
  •  negate
  •  recant
  •  gainsay
  •  enjoin from
  •  disprove
  •  negative
  •  rebut
  •  disown
  •  not buy
  •  withhold
  •  sacrifice
  •  disbelieve
  •  turn down
  •  renounce
  •  doubt
  •  forsake
  •  deny
  •  revoke
  •  disavow
  •  veto
  •  exclude

Overall, the word conceded means to give up or give in, or to admit some truth. This is often used in elections, competitions, or other situations in which one person will win. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today! You never know, it might become your new favorite word to use. 

Sources:

  1. CONCEDE Synonyms: 50 Synonyms & Antonyms for CONCEDE | Thesaurus 
  2. DENY Synonyms: 81 Synonyms & Antonyms for DENY | Thesaurus 
  3. concede: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  4. concede | Origin and meaning of concede | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  5. Concede | Definition of Concede | Merriam-Webster