concede
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to admit that something is true or logical, even if you are not happy about it.
to acknowledge as true, just, or proper, often reluctantly or after initial denial.
Simple“After seeing the evidence, he had to concede that his theory was wrong.”
In context“The minister was eventually forced to concede that the new policy had failed to meet its primary economic targets.”
UsageOften followed by a 'that' clause or a direct object.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
to admit that you have lost a game, an election, or an argument.
to yield or surrender in a contest; to acknowledge an opponent's victory before it is officially final.
Simple“The candidate decided to concede the election once the final votes were counted.”
In context“Despite a valiant effort in the final set, the grandmaster chose to concede the match when he realised his position was untenable.”
UsageCommonly used in political and competitive contexts.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to have a goal or a point scored against you or your team.
to fail to prevent an opponent from scoring a goal, point, or run.
Simple“The team was disappointed to concede a goal in the last minute of the game.”
In context“The goalkeeper had not conceded a single goal in five matches until a defensive error allowed the striker through.”
UsageThe subject is usually the team or player that is defending.
Usage conceded the league
“With just one more goal scored and one more conceded, they finished with the same goal difference and just two points more than they did in 2015-16.”
“Everyone wants their success to look like the product of hard work and nothing else; nobody wants to concede they had a head start.”
From Middle English [Term?], from Old French conceder, from Latin concēdō (“give way, yield”), from con- (“wholly”) + cēdō (“to yield, give way, to go, grant”), from Proto-Indo-European *ked- (“to go, yield”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.