Explanation at your level:
When you play a game and you know you cannot win, you say 'I give up.' In formal English, we say 'I concede.' It means you stop trying to win because the other person is the winner. You can also use it when you are talking to a friend and you realize they are right. You say, 'Okay, I concede that point.' It is a useful word to show you are being fair and honest.
Using concede makes your English sound more professional. If you are having a discussion and you realize the other person has a better idea, you can say, 'I concede that your idea is better.' It shows that you are listening and that you can change your mind when you see good evidence. It is very common in sports, like when a team stops playing because the score is too high to catch up.
At this level, you will see concede used in news and politics. When a candidate realizes they have lost an election, they 'concede the election.' This is a very important social ritual in democracies. You can also use it to describe admitting a mistake. For example, 'The company had to concede that their product was faulty.' It implies that the person admitting the fact did not want to do it at first, but they had to because the truth was clear.
Concede carries a nuance of 'reluctant admission.' When you use this word, you are signaling that you held a position of resistance, but the weight of evidence or the reality of the situation forced you to yield. It is frequently used in legal, academic, and professional contexts. A common collocation is 'reluctantly concede,' which highlights that the speaker is not happy about the admission but recognizes its necessity. Understanding this word helps you describe complex social interactions where people must balance their pride with the truth.
In advanced usage, concede is often used to manage a debate or negotiation. By conceding a minor point, you can strengthen your overall argument. This is a rhetorical strategy: you admit to a small, unimportant fact to make your opponent trust you, which makes your main argument seem more reasonable. It is also used in literary contexts to describe a character 'conceding' their pride or their long-held beliefs. It is a word that requires a high level of social intelligence to use effectively, as it involves managing the ego of both the speaker and the listener.
The mastery of concede involves understanding its role in power dynamics. Historically, it was used in treaties and territorial disputes, where one party would 'concede territory' to another to end a war. Today, it retains that sense of 'giving up something of value.' In high-level discourse, you might hear someone 'concede the premise' of a philosophical argument, meaning they accept the starting point of the opponent's logic even if they disagree with the conclusion. It is a word of surrender, but in a civilized, intellectual, or political sense. Using it correctly demonstrates an awareness of the nuances between 'admitting,' 'yielding,' and 'surrendering.' It is an essential tool for describing the inevitable compromises that define both personal relationships and global politics.
Palabra en 30 segundos
- To admit something is true.
- To give up in a contest.
- Implies previous resistance.
- Formal in tone.
Think of concede as the moment you stop fighting and start agreeing. It is a powerful word because it implies a shift in power or opinion. You might concede a point in a debate when your opponent makes a really good argument that you simply cannot refute.
In the world of sports or politics, conceding is a formal way of saying 'I give up, you won.' It is not necessarily a sign of weakness; often, it is a sign of maturity to recognize when the game is over or when an opponent has the better evidence.
The word concede comes from the Latin word concedere, which is a combination of com- (meaning 'with' or 'together') and cedere (meaning 'to go' or 'to yield'). It literally means to 'go along with' someone else.
Historically, it was used in legal and formal settings to describe giving up land or rights. Over time, it moved into everyday language to describe giving up on arguments or losing a competition. It shares a root with 'recede' and 'precede,' showing how English vocabulary is deeply connected to Latin movement verbs.
You will hear concede most often in news reports about elections or in business negotiations. It is a fairly formal word, so you wouldn't use it to say 'I concede that I ate the last cookie' unless you were being funny.
Common phrases include concede defeat, concede a point, and reluctantly concede. It is almost always used when there is some form of friction or resistance involved before the admission happens.
While 'concede' itself is a verb, it appears in several key expressions:
- Concede the floor: To give someone else the chance to speak.
- Concede defeat: To admit you have lost a contest.
- Concede ground: To give up territory or influence.
- Gracefully concede: To lose without being angry or bitter.
- Forced to concede: When someone has no choice but to admit the truth.
The word is pronounced kən-SEED. The stress is on the second syllable. It rhymes with 'proceed', 'exceed', and 'agreed'.
Grammatically, it is a transitive verb, meaning it usually takes an object (e.g., 'He conceded the point'). It is often followed by a 'that' clause: 'He conceded that he was wrong.' It is a regular verb, so the past tense is conceded.
Fun Fact
It shares the same root as 'recede' (to go back) and 'precede' (to go before).
Pronunciation Guide
Sounds like 'con' as in 'control' and 'seed' as in 'plant'.
Similar to UK, clear 'd' at the end.
Common Errors
- stressing the first syllable
- pronouncing the 'c' as 'k' in the second syllable
- dropping the final 'd'
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Moderate
Advanced
Moderate
Moderate
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Avanzado
Grammar to Know
Transitive Verbs
He conceded the game.
That Clauses
I concede that it is true.
Past Tense Regular
He conceded.
Examples by Level
I concede that you are right.
I admit you are right
Verb + that clause
The team had to concede.
The team gave up
Intransitive usage
He will not concede.
He will not give up
Future tense
She conceded the game.
She gave up the game
Transitive verb
I concede the point.
I give you this point
Formal usage
They finally conceded.
They gave in at last
Adverb + verb
Did he concede?
Did he give up?
Past tense question
I must concede.
I have to admit it
Modal verb
I concede that the weather is bad today.
The politician decided to concede the election.
He refused to concede his seat.
She had to concede that she was wrong.
The company conceded defeat after the lawsuit.
They conceded that the plan was too expensive.
I will concede if you show me proof.
The chess player conceded after ten moves.
The government was forced to concede to the protesters' demands.
He conceded that his initial assessment was incorrect.
Despite the evidence, she was unwilling to concede.
The team conceded two goals in the final minutes.
We must concede that the situation is difficult.
He graciously conceded the argument to his colleague.
The firm conceded a large share of the market.
It is hard to concede when you feel so strongly.
The CEO had to concede that the merger was a mistake.
He conceded the point but maintained his overall position.
The opposition party finally conceded the victory.
She was forced to concede her position of power.
The defense conceded that the evidence was compelling.
It is better to concede early than to lose everything.
They conceded that the project was behind schedule.
He conceded that he had been misinformed.
By conceding the minor details, he won the larger debate.
The author conceded that the plot had some inconsistencies.
The nation conceded sovereignty over the disputed region.
She conceded that her previous assumptions were flawed.
The negotiator conceded that a compromise was necessary.
He conceded that the outcome was beyond his control.
They were unwilling to concede any ground in the talks.
The expert conceded that there were multiple interpretations.
The historian conceded that the primary sources were contradictory.
He conceded the premise of the argument to facilitate progress.
The empire was forced to concede its colonial holdings.
She conceded that her life's work had been misunderstood.
The scientist conceded that the data did not support the hypothesis.
He conceded that the moral high ground had been lost.
They conceded the impossibility of the task at hand.
The diplomat conceded that the peace treaty was fragile.
Colocaciones comunes
Idioms & Expressions
"concede the floor"
To stop speaking so someone else can.
I will concede the floor to my colleague.
formal"concede defeat"
To admit failure.
He was the first to concede defeat.
neutral"concede the day"
To accept that you have lost the current battle.
We have to concede the day.
literary"concede nothing"
To refuse to admit anything.
He decided to concede nothing.
neutral"concede gracefully"
To lose without complaining.
It is important to concede gracefully.
neutral"force someone to concede"
To make someone admit they are wrong.
The facts forced him to concede.
neutralEasily Confused
Sounds similar.
Cede is more about giving up property.
He ceded the land.
Similar meaning.
Admit is neutral; concede implies resistance.
I admit I was there.
Similar meaning.
Yield is more physical/forceful.
Yield to traffic.
Similar meaning.
Accept is about receiving.
I accept the gift.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + concede + that + clause
I concede that you are right.
Subject + concede + noun
He conceded the point.
Reluctantly + concede
She reluctantly conceded.
Forced + to + concede
He was forced to concede.
Concede + defeat
They had to concede defeat.
Familia de palabras
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Relacionado
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
Errores comunes
Concede is transitive; you concede a point, not concede to a point.
Concede is for abstract things like points or victory.
The root is -cede, not -ceed.
It implies a prior disagreement.
Concede is too formal for casual talk.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a white flag being raised.
When Native Speakers Use It
Election nights.
Cultural Insight
It is seen as a sign of sportsmanship.
Grammar Shortcut
Always follow with 'that' or a noun.
Say It Right
Long 'e' sound.
Don't Make This Mistake
Do not say 'concede to a point'.
Did You Know?
It comes from Latin 'cedere'.
Study Smart
Use it in a sentence about a debate.
Professional context
Use in business meetings.
Verb form
Remember the -ed ending.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Concede: 'Con' (together) + 'cede' (go). You go together with the other person's idea.
Visual Association
A chess player knocking over their king.
Word Web
Desafío
Try to use 'concede' instead of 'admit' in a formal email today.
Origen de la palabra
Latin
Original meaning: To yield or go along with.
Contexto cultural
None, but can sound cold if used in personal arguments.
Commonly used in political reporting during elections.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Politics
- concede the election
- concede victory
- concede the race
Debate
- concede the point
- concede the argument
- concede the premise
Business
- concede market share
- concede terms
- concede the contract
Sports
- concede a goal
- concede a point
- concede the match
Conversation Starters
"When was the last time you had to concede a point in an argument?"
"Why do you think it is hard for people to concede?"
"Do you think politicians concede too late?"
"Is it better to concede or keep fighting?"
"What is the most important thing to concede in a relationship?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you were wrong and had to concede.
Describe a situation where someone should concede but doesn't.
How does conceding change the outcome of a conflict?
Reflect on the difference between losing and conceding.
Preguntas frecuentes
8 preguntasNot exactly. Concede implies you disagreed before.
No, it is for abstract concepts.
Yes, it is best for professional settings.
kən-SEED.
Concession.
It might sound too formal.
It is the act of admitting the loss.
Yes, past tense is conceded.
Ponte a prueba
He decided to ___ that he was wrong.
Concede is the correct verb for admitting a mistake.
What does it mean to concede?
Conceding is admitting you have lost.
Concede is a very casual word used with friends.
It is a formal word.
Word
Significado
These are synonyms.
Subject-Verb-Object order.
The team had to ___ defeat after the final goal.
Needs the base form after 'had to'.
Which word is a synonym for concede?
Yield means to give up/admit.
Concede can be used to describe giving up land.
Historically, it refers to yielding territory.
Word
Significado
Matching verbs and nouns.
Standard English sentence structure.
Puntuación: /10
Summary
To concede is to admit you were wrong or to accept that you have lost.
- To admit something is true.
- To give up in a contest.
- Implies previous resistance.
- Formal in tone.
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a white flag being raised.
When Native Speakers Use It
Election nights.
Cultural Insight
It is seen as a sign of sportsmanship.
Grammar Shortcut
Always follow with 'that' or a noun.
Ejemplo
He had to concede that his sister was much better at chess than he was.
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