Word: accede (verb)

Associations

"Accede" means to agree to a request, proposal, or demand. It often implies giving permission or approval after some thought or negotiation.

• The government acceded to the peace treaty. Here, "accede" means the government agreed to sign the treaty.
• She finally acceded to their request for a meeting. This shows she agreed after some hesitation.
• The company acceded to the customers' demands for a refund. It means the company gave in to what customers wanted. A well-known synonym is "agree," but "accede" is more formal and often used in official or serious contexts. "Agree" is more general and common in everyday speech.

Substitution

Other words or phrases you can use instead of "accede" include:

• agree (more common, less formal)
• consent (emphasizes permission)
• comply (focuses on following rules or requests)
• yield (suggests giving in after resistance) Changing the word can make the sentence sound more casual or more formal.

Deconstruction

"Accede" comes from Latin "accedere," where "ad-" means "to" and "cedere" means "go" or "yield." So, it literally means "to go toward" or "to yield to." No prefix or suffix in modern English form, but the root shows it is about moving toward agreement or giving in.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where you had to accede to someone’s request?
• How is "accede" different from simply saying "yes"?
• In what formal situations might you hear the word "accede"? For example, in politics, business, or personal life?