cede
Americanverb (used with object)
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:
When asked when Iran would cede control, his reply was short and sharp – "never."
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
As competitors intensify their value offerings, Domino’s might continue to face near-term pressure to match them or cede back market share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
"It's not in the president's nature to cede the limelight and he's done that here," said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
While Ford II agreed to go public, he didn’t cede control.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
I cede control to my lower half, which is actually pointing toward my room, and lead Nia to it.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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
However, the union said Disney’s OpenAI deal “appears to sanction its theft of our work and cedes the value of what we create to a tech company that has built its business off our backs.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
How companies respond will determine whether the US continues to lead in innovation and talent - or cedes ground to more welcoming economies.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2025
Safety Derwin James Jr. said he’s never been around a coach such as Harbaugh, who cedes the huddle to players at random.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024
"Hanover must receive compensation for what she cedes to us in Lauenburg and Holstein," added Bismarck.
From For Sceptre and Crown, Vol. I (of II) A Romance of the Present Time by Meding, Johann Ferdinand Martin Oskar
London and Madrid have disputed control of Gibraltar since the tiny territory -- known affectionately as "The Rock" -- was ceded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 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
They won an important toss and rarely ceded the advantage of a 317-run opening stand between Tom Latham and Devon Conway.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The military pressure would only increase until Iran ceded to the president’s terms, threat designed to hasten an agreement, the officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
All occupied territories in France and Belgium were to be evacuated immediately, and all territory conquered in eastern Europe since 1914, including lands ceded by Russia at Brest-Litovsk, was to be surrendered.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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
National governments with conflicting interests have balked at ceding control in critical fields that experts say most urgently need reshaping, including defense and foreign policy, financial supervision and labor laws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Rohl did engineer a turnaround against Wilfried Nancy's Celtic at the start of 2026, but has yet to outsmart Martin O'Neill, ceding a 2-0 lead in the last league derby.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
The hurried search of the decks, her frustration ceding to worry and abyssal panic when she realized the Assassin was no longer on board.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
