concession

American  

[kuhn-sesh-uhn] / kənˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

• concessions
  plural

1. the act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument.

   He made no concession to caution.

2. the thing or point yielded.

   Management offered a shorter workweek as a concession.

3. something conceded by a government or a controlling authority, as a grant of land, a privilege, or a franchise.

4. a space or privilege within certain premises for a subsidiary business or service.

   the refreshment concession at a movie theater.

5. Canadian. any of the usually sixteen divisions of a township, each division being 10 sq. mi. (26 sq. km) in area and containing thirty-two 200-acre lots.

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concession British  

/ kənˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of yielding or conceding, as to a demand or argument

2. something conceded

3. a reduction in the usual price of a ticket granted to a special group of customers

   a student concession

4. any grant of rights, land, or property by a government, local authority, corporation, or individual

5. the right, esp an exclusive right, to market a particular product in a given area

6. 1. the right to maintain a subsidiary business on a lessor's premises

   2. the premises so granted or the business so maintained

   3. a free rental period for such premises

7. 1. a land subdivision in a township survey

   2. another name for concession road

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonconcession
  noun
• preconcession
  noun
• subconcession
  noun
• concessible
  adjective
• concessional
  adjective
• proconcession
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• concessions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of concession

First recorded in 1605–15; 1910–15 concession for def. 4; from Latin concēssiōn- (stem of concēssiō ), equivalent to concēss(us) (past participle of concēdere ”to concede ”) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

The noun concession comes in handy in negotiations — between countries, political parties, or even parents and their kids. Want a raise in your allowance? You may have to agree to do more chores as a concession before your parents will agree. Although a concession in an argument is the act of yielding or granting something, don't get confused and think that a concession stand is called that because the workers are granting you popcorn at the baseball stadium. Concessions at a ballpark or at another venue are called that because the stadium has granted the right to sell food to a certain provider. Chew on that the next time you're munching on peanuts at a game.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concession concessions

In Marshall's concession speech, the outgoing senator quoted scripture – and called the loss "humbling".

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

There were long lines both for Pulido T-shirts that cost up to $55 and for beer and cocktails at concession stands throughout the arena.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

A person willing to accept a lower financial return can ask how much additional social benefit that concession yields.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

"The moment we learned that he had conceded defeat is one that, I am certain, no one from my generation will ever forget," 23-year-old medical student Milutin Kandic told AFP, referring to Vucic's concession.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Once I finished competing in my events, I would spend the rest of the day huddled in the bleachers with my friends chatting and laughing, or at the concession stand grabbing warm pretzels and nachos.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

"Similar to hydro 20 to 30 years ago, there's a bit of a rush on to secure concessions and development rights" for new wind projects, he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

The measure “will also drive up the cost of operating a sports team in California, increasing the price of tickets, concessions and merchandise,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

When my husband and I bought our home, we knew we were making concessions: the neighborhood, the proximity to friends.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

Both are seasoned veterans of political confrontations, capable of negotiating but reluctant to make concessions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

One of Dr. Finch’s concessions to the twentieth century was a telephone.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

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Related Words

• acknowledgment
• admission
• compromise
• deal
• grant
• permit
• privilege

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