accede
Americanverb (used without object)
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to give consent, approval, or adherence; agree; assent; to accede to a request; to accede to the terms of a contract.
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to attain or assume an office, title, or dignity; succeed (usually followed byto ).
to accede to the throne.
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International Law. to become a party to an agreement, treaty, or the like, by way of accession.
verb
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to assent or give one's consent; agree
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to enter upon or attain (to an office, right, etc)
the prince acceded to the throne
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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
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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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:
The businessman alleged that Cele also made other requests, including asking for help to purchase a home and pay for his son's studies, to which Matlala refused to accede.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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
"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
Those who accede to the Executive’s demands, too, will be in the clear.
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2025
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
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
Charles acceded to the throne on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, and his coronation took place the following May.
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2024
She has been part of Sanchez's inner circle since he acceded to power in 2018.
From Reuters ● Nov. 20, 2023
Xi acceded to U.S. requests on other issues, too.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2023
Disappointed in the expectation of a customer, she coolly acceded to my request.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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
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
In 2018, she pledged that 2022 would be her last year as House Democratic leader, acceding to a term limit to quell an uprising and secure a second stint as speaker.
From New York Times ● Aug. 13, 2022
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
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.
