accede
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to give consent, approval, or adherence; agree; assent; to accede to a request; to accede to the terms of a contract.
-
to attain or assume an office, title, or dignity; succeed (usually followed byto ).
to accede to the throne.
-
International Law. to become a party to an agreement, treaty, or the like, by way of accession.
verb
-
to assent or give one's consent; agree
-
to enter upon or attain (to an office, right, etc)
the prince acceded to the throne
-
international law to become a party (to an agreement between nations, etc), as by signing a treaty
Synonym Usage
See agree.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of accede
1400–50; late Middle English: to approach, adapt to < Latin accēdere to approach, assent, equivalent to ac- ac- + cēdere to go; see cede
Explanation
If you accede, it means you agree with someone or give in to his or her wish. The word is often used in a political context — the Queen acceded to the Prince's demands for more territory, a larger army, and funnier jesters. Accede can also be used for everyday situations. If you accede to your mother's request that you come home before ten, it means you'll be missing that midnight movie with your friends. Accede comes from the Latin accedere, meaning to "approach or enter upon." It differs slightly from concede, which also means consent, but a more reluctant kind. If you were to concede to your mom's 10 PM curfew rather than accede to it, you'd be doing so against your will.
Vocabulary lists containing accede
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They have so far rejected those calls, but the publication of this morning's meeting suggests they may be willing to accede to the last demand.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
After both sides went back and forth with proposals, Amodei on Feb. 26 said publicly that the company was declining the Defense Department’s latest offer and couldn’t accede to its requests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
After months of negotiations hit a wall, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in a statement Thursday night that “we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.”
From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2026
"These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request," Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
What could she do but accede, praying that her father would live until her return?
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
By the next day Blanche had acceded to the senators' request, releasing two letters that Tillis and Cornyn said satisfied their concerns.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The agency reportedly acceded to the New Jersey District Court’s appointment of Robert Frazer, a longtime prosecutor, following negotiations behind the scenes.
From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2026
When Simo joined OpenAI, her new company acceded to the wishes of her old company, Kundu said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
At the time, veterans’ attorney Roman Silberfeld raised no objection, and Carter acceded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2025
I reluctantly acceded; I yearned to spend my second night of freedom under my own roof.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
In response, Samsung's management said the talks failed because "acceding to the labour union's excessive demands would risk undermining the fundamental principles of the company's management".
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
The apartheid government under President F.W. de Klerk dismantled its nuclear weapons and associated facilities in an orderly process—before acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026
What it emphatically cannot mean is acceding to powerlessness in the face of a bunch of institutions that are working to make it seem as if their omnipotence is inevitable, or irrevocable, or constitutionally overdetermined.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2025
Despite not acceding to the family’s request for life sentences, they said they were happy with the outcome and that justice had been served.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2024
A few years prior, Mrs. Piatigorsky had been criticized in some quarters for not acceding to Fischer’s demands for the 1963 tournament, which had led to his not playing.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
