noun
-
the act of ceding, esp of ceding rights, property, or territory
-
something that is ceded, esp land or territory
Etymology
Origin of cession
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cessiōn- (stem of cessiō ) a giving up, equivalent to cess ( us ) past participle of cēdere to yield ( ced- perfect stem + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Cession is the act of giving up something, usually land, by the agreement in a formal treaty. For example, after a war, a losing country might make a cession of part of its land to the victor. The meaning (and spelling) of the word cession, began with the Latin word meaning "a giving up" and retained that meaning throughout the word's evolution, passing through Old French and Middle English pretty much untouched. We can see its relationship to other words, such as secession, which is the idea of one government breaking away from another, or "giving up" the connection between them, as happened in our own country and led to the Civil War.
Vocabulary lists containing cession
The Constitution of the United States
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The Age of Jackson and Westward Expansion, Lessons 6–7
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The U.S. Constitution, List 2
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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.
A colonial civil servant later described the cession of Hong Kong as “a surprise to all concerned.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2022
That conflict ended with the humiliating cession of more than half the nation’s territory to the United States, but López Obrador saw in it at least a few examples of valor.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 18, 2018
After wresting a vast land cession from his Creek allies, he continued south to defend the Gulf coast.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 18, 2018
The first Indian cession within the Louisiana Territory established the mold.
From Slate ● Mar. 1, 2017
After the cession of Canada, by the French, the British Government began the establishment of a small navy on Lake Ontario.
From A Century of Sail and Steam on the Niagara River by Barlow Cumberland
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.
