cede
Americanverb (used with object)
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cedes,
present (3rd person singular)
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ceded,
past participle, past
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ceding
present participle
verb
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to transfer, make over, or surrender (something, esp territory or legal rights)
the lands were ceded by treaty
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(tr) to allow or concede (a point in an argument, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cedesimple
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cedessimple
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have cededperfect
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has cededperfect
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am cedingprogressive
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are cedingprogressive
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is cedingprogressive
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have been cedingperfect progressive
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has been cedingperfect progressive
Past
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cededsimple
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had cededperfect
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was cedingprogressive
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were cedingprogressive
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had been cedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cede
First recorded in 1625–35, cede is from the Latin word cēdere “to go, yield”
Explanation
To cede is to give up or surrender land, position, or authority. "She reluctantly ceded the coveted position as the baby of the family to her brother when he was born. She would not, however, cede her bedroom to him." Cede is a word often used in discussing diplomatic issues. It is more commonly used in reference to actual physical things, like geographic areas or objects, but can also be used in reference to attitudes or opinions. "The rebels ceded territory after the siege failed." "Dad tried but finally ceded control and let me have my own Facebook account."
Vocabulary lists containing cede
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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:
But Dan Plumley, senior lecturer in sport finance at Loughborough University in the UK, believes FSG have no immediate plans to cede complete control.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
When asked when Iran would cede control, his reply was short and sharp – "never."
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
In indirect talks in Doha this week, the president’s team failed to unlock any new funds or get sanctions relief, as Iran refused to cede control of the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
And to get a piece of the rocket maker, investors must cede some traditional rights as owners, with Musk maintaining 85% voting power over the company using Ford II’s Class B-stock maneuver.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Over the next two decades, the Osage were forced to cede nearly a hundred million acres of their ancestral land, ultimately finding refuge in a 50-by-125-mile area in southeastern Kansas.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
To get the upfront tax deduction, the donor cedes legal control of the donated funds to the DAF sponsor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
The announcement answers long-simmering questions about a successor for 65-year-old Cook, who said he will become executive chairman of the board when he cedes Apple's CEO position.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
Regardless, Bennett is expected to get the majority of work, while McVay cedes play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2024
"If you cross me, I'm just like my father / I am colder than Titanic water," she warns, before the song cedes way to the 18th Century aria, Caro Mio Ben.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2024
Magnus, King of Norway, cedes the Hebrides and the Isle of Man to Scotland.
From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 06 (From Barbarossa to Dante) by Charles F. (Charles Francis) Horne
With the decline, Nvidia ceded back to Apple the position of largest U.S. company by market cap, a title it has held since May of last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
London and Madrid have disputed control of Gibraltar since the tiny territory was ceded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Every one of the 13 penalties England conceded sapped their momentum, ceded territory and ratcheted up pressure.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
The league already ceded its regular season to the offseason, leaning into free agency drama as a driving source of year-round intrigue, letting team-building trump teamwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
In the Treaty of Greenville, signed in 1795, the nations of the alliance ceded a great deal of their Ohio territory to the US.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Once in office, she championed issues that had mattered to him, including ceding control of the Panama Canal.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some of them are said to be concerned that the company risks ceding ground to rivals Anthropic and OpenAI, among others.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
But he's just as comfortable ceding the spotlight to Little Simz, or chuckling as he trades riffs with flautist Ajay Prasanna.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
But it has also raised questions about xAI’s ability to win at AI and whether Musk is ceding ground to the competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
When the French and Indian War ended, the French left the region, ceding to the British all the land they had claimed east of the Mississippi River.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Definitions 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.
