concede

concede — verb

1. to accept the truth of something after you had been resisting it or were unwilli

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to accept the truth of something after you had been resisting it or were unwilling to do so.

Example

After seeing the evidence, Owen finally conceded that his theory was wrong.

concede + that-clause for reluctant acceptance

Even her strongest critics conceded she had done excellent work on the project.

Common collocations
  • concede reluctantly
  • concede frankly
  • concede the point
  • concede an argument
Synonyms
  • admit

    more neutral; does not carry the same sense of reluctance or prior resistance

  • acknowledge

    slightly more formal and can refer to accepting something unpleasant without prior denial

  • grant

    suggests you are allowing someone else's point out of fairness rather than being forced to

  • confess

    carries a stronger sense of guilt or wrongdoing; more personal and emotional

Antonyms
  • deny

    to state that something is not true

  • dispute

    to argue against the truth of something

Grammar Patterns

concede + that-clause

concede + noun phrase

concede + direct speech

Usage Note

Frequently used with a that-clause. Often carries a tone of reluctance — the speaker is giving ground in a disagreement rather than freely volunteering the admission.

Common Mistakes

I concede to be wrong.
I concede that I was wrong.
'concede' in this sense is followed by a that-clause, not a to-infinitive.
He conceded to have made a mistake.
He conceded that he had made a mistake.
use a that-clause to express the thing being admitted.

2. to stop trying to win a contest, election, game, or argument because you accept

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to stop trying to win a contest, election, game, or argument because you accept the other side has beaten you.

Example

After the final votes were counted, Constanza conceded the election gracefully.

concede + election / race / contest

The chess champion refused to concede even when he had only three pieces left.

Common collocations
  • concede defeat
  • concede the election
  • concede the match
  • concede the race
  • concede the argument
Synonyms
  • surrender

    stronger and more dramatic; implies giving up completely, often in war or a serious struggle

  • yield

    suggests giving way under pressure rather than formally admitting loss

  • give up

    more informal; can refer to stopping any effort, not just in formal competition

Antonyms
  • win

    to be the first or best in a competition

  • triumph

    to achieve a great victory

Grammar Patterns

concede + noun phrase (election / game / match / race)

concede + to + person

concede (no object)

Usage Note

Common in political and sporting contexts. When used transitively, the object is typically 'election', 'race', 'match', 'game', or 'defeat'. When used intransitively, the context makes it clear what is being given up.

Common Mistakes

The team conceded from the competition after losing badly.
The team conceded the match after losing badly.
use the competition or match as a direct object, not a prepositional phrase.
She conceded to lose the race.
She conceded the race.' or 'She conceded defeat.
do not use 'concede' with a to-infinitive.

3. to hand over control or possession of something to another person or group, ofte

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to hand over control or possession of something to another person or group, often against your wishes.

Example

The company conceded a 5% pay rise to the striking workers after three weeks.

concede + noun phrase + to + someone

Andrew conceded control of the family business to his younger brother.

Common collocations
  • concede territory
  • concede power
  • concede a right
  • concede ground
  • concede control
Synonyms
  • yield

    more general; can mean to produce a result as well as to give way

  • grant

    suggests a more willing or generous act; does not carry the same reluctance

  • surrender

    stronger and more final; suggests giving up completely after a struggle

  • hand over

    more informal; the object is often physical or concrete

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to refuse to give something

  • keep

    to continue to hold or possess something

Grammar Patterns

concede + noun phrase + to + someone

concede + noun phrase

Usage Note

The object is typically a right, privilege, territory, possession, or position that the subject controls. The preposition 'to' introduces the recipient. Frequently implies the subject gave in under pressure rather than willingly.

Common Mistakes

She conceded him her seat on the bus.
She gave up her seat on the bus for him.
'concede' is too formal for everyday physical objects. Use it for rights, territory, or formal positions.
They conceded the victory to the opponent.
They conceded victory to the opponent.
no article needed with abstract nouns like 'victory'.

4. in a sports match, to be unable to stop the opposing team from scoring a goal or

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

in a sports match, to be unable to stop the opposing team from scoring a goal or gaining a point.

Example

The home team conceded three goals in the first fifteen minutes of the match.

concede + number + goals / points

Ingrid's team conceded a penalty in the final minute and lost the game.

concede + penalty / goal / point

Common collocations
  • concede a goal
  • concede a point
  • concede a penalty
  • concede an early goal
  • concede a late goal
Synonyms
  • let in

    informal; 'The goalkeeper let in three goals.'

  • allow

    more neutral; 'The defence allowed two goals.'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

concede + number + goal(s) / point(s)

concede + goal / point + to + opponent

Usage Note

Chiefly British English. This sense is about scoring events, not about admitting overall defeat. The subject is the team or player whose defence failed. Common in football (soccer), rugby, hockey, and other point-based sports.

Common Mistakes

The team conceded losing the game.
The team conceded two goals in the first half.
this sense is for individual scoring events; use sense 2 for admitting overall defeat.
We conceded three points to lose the game.
We conceded three goals in the first half.
use 'goals' or 'points' appropriate to the sport, not 'points' generically for all sports.

Word family

  • concession
    nounB2
  • concessional
    adjectiveC1
  • concessive
    adjectiveC2
  • concededly
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Admit' is the most neutral term for saying something is true, often after initial denial. 'Acknowledge' is more formal and can refer to accepting an unpleasant truth without prior resistance. 'Concede' carries a stronger sense of giving ground in a disagreement — you were holding a position and are now retreating from it. 'Grant' suggests you are allowing someone else's point out of fairness or respect, not because you were forced to. 'Confess' is more personal and emotional, usually involving wrongdoing or a secret. For example: 'She admitted she was late' (simple fact), 'The company acknowledged the mistakes in their report' (formal acceptance), 'He conceded that his opponent had a valid point' (reluctant agreement in a debate), 'I grant you that the task is difficult' (polite concession), and 'She confessed she had broken the vase' (guilt).

admit ↗acknowledge ↗concede ↗grant ↗confess ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • concede that…
  • concede defeat
  • concede ground
  • concede a point to someone

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'concedere', a combination of 'com-' (meaning 'completely' or 'intensively') and 'cedere' (meaning 'to yield, go away, give ground'). The original idea was of withdrawing or giving way completely. The meaning of 'admitting something as true' grew out of the image of yielding a point in an argument or debate.